Certainties
by Lord Akiyama
Summary: They've known each other since they were one. But that doesn't mean it will be any easy to be in love. When feelings for one another begin to grow beyond friendship, will it last?
1. Chapter 1

**Certainties**

an _All Grown Up_ fan fiction story

by Lord Akiyama

---

Author's Note: It's been a very, very long time since I last watched _Rugrats_ on a regular basis. Let's say several years ago before the first movie came out. I caught it maybe once or twice after giving the second movie a shot and have slowly worked my way into watching _All Grown Up_. So I beg your pardon if it seems like I'm writing this kids out of character.

All Grown Up and its characters copyright © Klasky-Csupo, Nickelodeon and Viacom. This story has been produced for sheer fun and enjoyment. Please don't sue.

---

Chapter One

---

Being sixteen years old was a very big deal for teenagers across the country. It meant that you've reached the age in which you could earn yourself a driver's license and legally be allowed to operate a vehicle. Angelica and Susie were the first to get theirs, followed later by Chuckie and then Kimi. It was Tommy's turn to earn himself the privilege of driving.

Chuckie drove his dad's station wagon to bring Tommy to the DMV. Kimi, Dil and the twins tagged along. Susie was visiting a relative for the weekend and Angelica was going to go out on a date, needing to spend all day preparing for just one night. Fighting off the boredom of waiting, Phil brought his Game Boy Advanced SP along and was playing _Metriod Fusion_. Dil watched from his perched position on the roof of the station wagon. Lil was lying down upon one of the back seats while Kimi and Chuckie sat up front, looking for a radio station to listen to.

"How long does it usually take?" Dil asked, his tone in a mixture of curiosity and impatience.

"Depends on how fast you finish," Kimi replied. "Sometimes it takes thirty minutes to pass the driving part. And that doesn't include parallel parking."

"Didn't Tommy have trouble with that?" Phil asked, though keeping his attention on the game.

"That was the one he was worried about the most," Chuckie said. "I was, too. I got so scared about messing that one up that I took forever in parking during my test."

"So what's the fastest any one's ever finished their driving test?" Dil asked.

"I doubt they would post such information in the DMV, Dil," Lil said. "Unlike NASCAR, it's not a competition with someone else to finish this."

"It's a competition with yourself," Kimi giggled thoughtfully. "There's so much pressure you place upon yourself because you make yourself believe driving is the most important thing in the world. So you want to be as careful as can be to listen and do everything that you are instructed to do to pass."

"Speaking of which," Lil said as she shot up into a sitting position, "here he comes."

The others turned to watch as Tommy Pickles exited the DMV. He had his hands stuffed in his pockets, not revealing anything as to whether or not he passed. His body language was also unreadable. He face said nothing and the way he walked was as plain and normal as could be. Moments later, Tommy was standing in front of the others, looking at them as they impatiently awaited the results.

And then he cracked a grin.

"Ace in the hole, gang!" Tommy cried.

---

After pulling into the driveway of the Pickles residence, Tommy watched as Chuckie made sure of everything before turning off the egnition. Satisfied, Tommy and Dil unbuckled and stepped out of the station wagon. After closing the door, Tommy turned back to face the others and leaned on the window frame.

"You know, this calls for a celebration," Tommy said with the typical kind of self-confidence the others knew and, quietly admitted, loved about him. "I say we hit The Java Lava and then catch a flick. I'll buy."

"Whoa, no can do, bro," Dil said. "I'm still grounded, remember?"

"Oh yeah," Tommy sighed after being reminded. "Sorry about that, Dil."

"Whatcha do this time, Dil?" Phil asked with a wicked grin and a raised brow.

"Remember last Thursday night?" Dil simply said with a sense of pride. The other took a moment to think about what happened then and were soon laughing once they figured it out. Definitely something that deserved the younger Pickle a form of punishment, though they didn't bother to press further on how long he was grounded.

"Speaking of remembering," Chuckie said after the laughter died down, "I forgot to mention that The Java Lava is gonna close a little early to the public. We got reserved out by a local college playing a big game tonight against one of their school rivals. And dad needs me to pull double duty tonight, so I can't go any where."

"Luckily for me, today's my day off," Kimi said proudly. "I don't think mom and dad would mind if I took you up on your offer, Tommy." With that, Kimi immediately unbuckled her seatbelt and stepped out of the car.

"That leaves you two," Tommy said to the twins. "You guys able to come, or do you have previous engagements you can't break tonight?"

"The latter, I'm afraid," Lil sighed. "Mom is making us help Chuckie since Kimi has the day off."

"Why are you still able to get the night off any way, Kimi?" Phil asked curiously.

"I worked a lot of overtimes last month," Kimi replied. "I needed the extra money for the concert this Wednesday."

"Didn't you already have enough, though?" Chuckie asked with confusion, raising a brow.

"Yeah, but I was aiming for good seats this time," Kimi answered. She then turned to Lil with a huge smile on her face. "Front row seats, Lil! Oh God, I would just die if I get to touch Johnny Rzeznik!" The guys silently rolled their eyes as the girls squirmed together with excitement.

"And on that note, we'll be taking off now," Phil managed to say as he closed the doors. "Guess you're gonna have to spend that celebration of yours alone with the gushing fan girl, Tommy." Kimi reached in to smack Phil hard on the arm, causing the others to laugh in amusement.

"You know what to do if you need anything, sis," Chuckie said as he turned the ignition.

"Call if its in an emergency, call if there's any trouble, call if I'm coming home early," Kimi stated off the top of her head with a hint of sarcasm. "In other words, call if even the slightest thing happens. I'm sixteen and a half, dear brother. I know you mean well, but come on. I know how to take care of myself."

"Alright, alright," Chuckie responded. "I'm just making sure. Take care of her, Tommy."

"Wouldn't dream of doing otherwise, Chuck," Tommy said. Along with Dil and Kimi, he waved to the others as Chuckie backed the car out of the driveway and then drove away. When the sound of operating engines died in the distance, the three turned walked toward the house. "I'll see if I can get dad to lemme borrow the Maxima," Tommy said to Kimi.

"You know Tommy," Dil began to say, "since its just you and Kimi, this celebration is starting to look more like a date to me. You're borrowing dad's car, going to the movies, getting something to eat..."

"Oh, shut up!" Kimi protested, though she knew he was just messing with them and played along. "Like you would know what a date is as opposed to just a couple of friends having a little get together."

"Well, I am wearing a ski cap in the middle of summer," Dil deduced. "You make a fair point there, Kimi. So, what movie are you guys planning to see?"

"I dunno," Kimi replied. "Do you know what's playing, Tommy?"

"I know what's playing at the mall tonight," Tommy responded. "I'm just trying to think of what to see that would warrant cause for celebration of my being able to drive."

"Please tell me we're not gonna see another one of those mindless action movies again," Kimi sighed. "Or worse, a horror film. Remember when Lil and I had to watched the new version of _Dawn of the Dead_ with you guys when we all couldn't decide on a flick? We were covering our faces almost throughout the entire movie!"

"Hey, you girls were out voted four to two," Dil stated. "The majority wanted to see that over some crummy Hilary Duff movie, whatever it was."

"It was _A Cinderella Story_, Dil," Kimi said with a playful glare to the other. "And how would you know if it was crummy if you hadn't seen it?"

"The previews were good enough for me to see that it was crummy," Dil responded.

Tommy just smiled as he stood in-between the two arguing individuals before placing the key to the house into the keyhole and unlocking the front door. He still had to figure out what movie he and Kimi were going to watch, but he had a good idea of what he wanted to see.

---

"See," Tommy said with a ridicules grin painted upon his face as they exited the movie theater. "Didn't I tell you that there was more to martial arts films than the fighting?"

"I have to admit, Tommy Pickles," Kimi responded with a sigh of defeat, though wore a grin of her own, "you have a very valid point on that. It was quite an emotional film." She raised her right hand and used her index finger to wipe away whatever tears remained.

"Yeah," Tommy sighed along. "I think this is one of those movies I wouldn't have mind admitting to have cried to. And I almost did."

"You did everything you could to keep a tear from forming on your eyelids, that's for sure," Kimi giggled. "Especially when she told them that she would remove the dagger, thus killing herself, if they didn't stop fighting."

"What can I say?" Tommy shrugged. "I guess I'm a sucker for a really strong dramatic scene."

"I'm sure you are," Kimi responded, rolling her eyes with disbelief. "Well, I guess I'll have to see if I can find my way into convincing the other girls that _House of Flying Daggers_ is a pretty good movie to see."

"You know for sure Dil and Phil will wanna go see it," Tommy chuckled.

"Oh, but of course," Kimi giggled. "It's a martial arts film, after all. Not to mention guys practically drool over anything with Ziyi Zhang in it."

"You make it sound as if that's a bad thing," Tommy responded. "Like our crushing over her is any different than when you girls just swoon at the mention of Orlando Bloom."

"Hey, I can't help it if the guy is such a hottie," Kimi said in playful defense. "If you were a girl, you'd be falling that hunk just as fast and as hard as the rest of us."

"Just like if you were a guy you'd do the same over Ziyi Zhang," Tommy laughed.

The two continued to walk away from the movie theater until they were within the confines of the food court. They looked around, scanning the various names of the restaurants that had set up shop. Moments later her turned to her, signaling that she would be the one to choose what they would have for dinner.

"Hmmm..." Kimi managed to audibly produce. "Let me see... how about... oh, let's keep it simple. Let's have Subway."

"Sounds good to me," Tommy said as they began their walked toward the rather small line of customers standing before the restaurant's stall. "Was there anything you wanted to do after dinner?"

"Not really," Kimi shrugged. She then raised a brow as she looked over at the other. "Why? Did you have something in mind?" She wasn't sure if she was going to like what he was about to say.

"Perhaps..." Tommy chuckled.

---

"If I hadn't known any better, I'd say you've been watching Kevin Smith movies one too many times," Kimi stated with a glare upon the other.

"Hey, just because he uses it in his movies doesn't mean that only fans are the only ones who enjoy it," Tommy laughed.

"Okay, then lemme rephrase what I just said," Kimi responded with a raised brow. "Who, but Kevin Smith fans, would dare think getting a girl to play skee ball with him would register as having a good time?"

"At least think of it as a skill builder," Tommy laughed.

"Skill builder?" Kimi laughed along mockingly. "Tommy, where's the skill in rolling a ball into a hole?"

"It's not just 'rolling a ball into a hole,' Kimi," Tommy reasoned. He stood behind her with one hand on her forearm holding a ball, the other hand upon her opposite shoulder. He began to lower his voice so that only she could hear him. "The skill to skee ball is being able to roll it just right so that you score more points as opposed to the usual five and ten. The more points you get, the more tickets you get. But the tickets are just the bonus to the real prize."

"And what, pray tell, is the real prize in skee ball?" Kimi asked in the same volume as his speaking voice. For a moment, she almost sounded rather alluring. But he didn't think anything of it. Neither did she.

"To achieve the highest score," Tommy whispered in her ear with a smile. "It's the pinnacle of all sports and games the reach the highest point total at something. Skee ball is no different."

She turned her head just enough so that they would be looking eye to eye. Their smiles wide enough to go from ear to ear. "Well," Kimi began to whisper, "since you put it that way... teach me how to play." A light chuckle came out of his lips, the same as the giggle that came out of hers, as they turned their attention to the game.

"The trick to skee ball is how your entire body moves," Tommy said, his voice just above a whisper. "The fingers guide the direction of the roll. The hand releases the ball. The arm gives it the pressure so that the ball will enough roll. The shoulder moving the arm. The eyes giving the ball a target to shoot for. It sounds oh so simple, but it is just as hard to master."

Everything seemed to move in slow-motion. She let him move her body for her. But the hands and fingers were all up to her. With such gentle softness, he moved her forearm and allowed her to bring it back and forth to take aim. And then, with just the right amount of timing, she pushed all the pressure her arm could muster into her hand as it released the ball. Her fingers guiding the direction in which it ran, rolling just slightly to the left of the center. They watched in utter silence, listening only to the ball rolling upon the surface. And then, it rolled off the ramp and into the hole. She scored 25 points.

"Oh my God..." she whispered with sheer awe.

"I know," he chuckled, the volume still just above a whisper. "25 is a great score. Now let's do this five more times."

---

The parking lot was relatively empty. Most customers were already home by the time the mall closed at nine. Tommy and Kimi continued to take their time walking to the car, laughing along the way. In tow was her newly acquired plush doggy, scoring enough points to earn the tickets needed in winning such a prize. To achieve the highest score may be the real prize, but she'll gladly take a plush doggy on any given day.

"Oh man," Kimi exhaled aloud with a little bit of giggling. "The others have no idea what they missed. Tonight was such the most amazing night ever."

"I know," Tommy agreed with a hint of chuckling. "You don't get the chance to have nights like these."

She twirled in place and stopped to face him with a big smile upon her face while holding the plush doggy tight against her chest. "Thank you, Tommy," Kimi said.

"No problem," Tommy responded with a smile of his own.

The laughed a bit. His hands stuffed in his pockets as he dropped his head and watched his right foot play about on its toes. Kimi sighed as she leaned her head back, taking her right hand and running it through her hair while her left retained its tight hold on the plush doggy against her chest. Soon their eyes locked on to one another. Their smiles still upon their faces, they stared deep within each other. Wondering if they could read what the other might think, say or do. Time seemed to have stopped completely as they lost themselves in each others eyes.

And then...

... their lips met.

Quite suddenly, their eyes shot wide open and they pulled back. For what seemed like an eternity, they remained frozen and still. Staring at one another in utter disbelief over what just happened. Unsure of what exactly they should be feeling, though one was quite certain.

Fear.

---

October 6, 2005


	2. Chapter 2

**Certainties**

an _All Grown Up_ fan fiction story

by Lord Akiyama

---

_All Grown Up_ and its characters copyright © Klasky-Csupo, Nickelodeon and Viacom. This story has been produced for sheer fun and enjoyment. Please don't sue.

---

Chapter Two

---

She was the first to make a move, slowly raising her quivering right hand so that the tip of her fingers touched her lips. Her eyes broke away from his, looking down at her hand wondering if any form of visual evidence of their kiss was present. Of course, she was a girl and he was a guy and guys generally don't wear lipstick. It would be the girls. But there was no need to wear one on this night. It was supposed to be a little celebration of his getting a driver's license. She wasn't expecting anything like this. Looking back into his eyes, he apparently wasn't expecting this either.

"I..." Tommy managed to mutter. He couldn't bring himself to say anything more.

Silence once again fell upon them. Neither one daring to move a muscle, unsure if anything they did would result in some sort of offense to the other. Something eventually had to happen. Moments later, she took a chance.

"D-Did..." Kimi began to say. "Um... D-Did... I mean... D-Do you know... who, um... who..."

"Oh..." Tommy managed to say, getting a good idea where she was going. "Um... I, um... I... really dunno, actually... yeah, um... yeah."

"Yeah..." Kimi said, giving off a nervous smile just as he was. They both glanced their eyes away in different directions, not really sure if they could look at the other and speak properly. "That, um... That was... was a bit... un... un..." She didn't quite know what exactly to say as she began to feel that whatever came out of her mouth would have some sort of meaning. And she didn't want to give him the wrong impression. "That was... was a bit... a bit un... unexpected..."

"Y-Yeah..." Tommy responded. "Yeah... a bit... a bit unexpected... yeah..."

Silence returned, their eyes still averted from each other. As the moments passed, she began to tighten her hug upon the plush doggy. The feeling of her acquired possession caused her to take a good look at it. She won it because of him. He encouraged her to play, taught her how the play. And the result was this plush doggy she was increasingly holding dear to her. Very slowly, she brought her eyes to him. He was doing the same.

"Tommy?" Kimi managed to say. She took a deep breath, think about what she wanted to say next. "Do... Do you still... think of me... as a friend?"

He ran a free hand through his head, hoping that he would come up with the appropriate words to say. "I..." Tommy began to mutter. "I think... I think I think of you as... a friend... and more." His entire bodily function come to a complete halt as he awaited for her to responded for good or ill.

"Really?" Kimi replied, quite surprised at what she had just heard. She watched him sheepishly nod his head. "Oh wow..." she quietly added. She then began to wonder if he could see the blush she felt forming on her cheeks.

"It's just, well..." Tommy began to say, already beginning to stumble upon the words he was trying to say. "Um... you know. While we were playing skee ball, and stuff... you know. Um... well. If..." He stopped himself from further self embarrassment as he took a deep breath and thought about what to say next. "If you don't feel the same way, then... then I'll pull back, you know. And we'll just... well... we'll just be friends who accidentally..." His voice began to trail off.

"Yeah... I know what you're saying..." Kimi responded, her cheeks getting a lot warmer than it was before. "Um... well..." She brought her free hand up to her head and ran it through her hair. For a split second, she thought she could feel her sweating. She took another deep breath. "Boy, this is tough..." Kimi quietly said to herself, not knowing if she was audible for him to hear. "Guys tells you he likes you and you can't find something to say that you like him right back."

"Y-You feel the same?" Tommy muttered is surprise.

"Oh!" Kimi cried. If he didn't see her blushing before, it was more evident then ever. With her free hand, she covered as much of her cheeks as she could. But it was almost futile to despite that he heard her say that he liked him. She began to think for a moment for something else to say in response. Taking a deep breath, she knew what to say. "Well... I think I think of you as a friend and more, too."

"Wow..." Tommy muttered silently. "When, um... When did you start feeling the same?"

"P-Probably around the same time as you..." Kimi replied sheepishly. "Um... When you were teaching me how to play skee ball." Her blushing began to fade a little, but she knew it was still there.

He began to chuckle nervously as he threw his arm back to scratch his neck from behind. "Man, who would've thought?" Tommy spoke aloud. "Friends for fifteen years and all of a sudden we dunno how to talk to each other after a kiss."

"Yeah, really..." Kimi giggled along with just as much nervousness. "Interesting how amongst eight friends, the two of us would develop some that was more than just being friends amongst one another." As they continued to lightly laugh along, a sudden though came over her that caused her blushing to disappear completely. "But... but what if this feeling of ours suddenly fades away just as we get started?"

This took him by surprise. "You're already having doubts?" Tommy asked, unsure if that was the right thing to say.

"Oh, no, no, I didn't mean that," Kimi quickly replied. But then she stopped herself short. "Well... I guess you can say I'm a little worried. You know, our having been friends pretty much all our lives."

He took a minute to think about what she said and immediately understood. "Oh, yeah..." Tommy said. "Yeah, I can see where you're going. Because we've been friends since we were babies that maybe we're thinking that we should take the next step beyond friendship when we've really misinterpreted our feelings."

"Yeah, pretty much," Kimi sighed. "I mean, I like you very much, Tommy. But suppose this feeling we have for each other was just some sort of aberration. We could end up hurting each other's feelings because we thought we were in love when we actually weren't."

"I wouldn't wanna do that to you," Tommy said.

"Neither would I to you," Kimi responded. "But we really have to be sure of ourselves if we really wanna take that next step past friendship." She sounded very wounded and afraid, realizing that this mixture of feelings was as much for him as it was for her.

He took a deep breath as he thought about the whole situation. "Well..." Tommy began to say. "Hmmm... Well, maybe we could try something out."

"What do you mean?" Kimi asked in confusion with a raised brow.

"Well, let's see if these feelings really are an aberration," Tommy said. "Let's wait a while. No dating, no flirting. Just continue to be friends and nothing more. If we don't hold the same feelings afterward, then we know that we weren't meant to take that next step together. But if we both still have these feelings, then maybe we could give it a shot."

She looked at him strangely, unsure of what exactly he was proposing. After thinking about it, everything he said began to make sense. And she agree. "Alright," Kimi said. "I'm up for that. But how long should we wait?"

"How about a month?" Tommy suggested with a shrug.

"Hmmm..." Kimi thought aloud. "I get the feeling that's a little too long. I mean, suppose we both really do have feelings for each other, but we're only ten days into this thing. I dunno about you, but I know I'd be going stir-crazy."

"Yeah, I'd probably do the same," Tommy said. "Hmmm... if not a month, how about two weeks?"

"I figured the same," Kimi said. "Although... Oh, I dunno. This'll probably sound crazy. Well... Perhaps we could make it just a week."

"A week?" Tommy curiously repeated. "Sounds a bit short, don't you think."

"Or maybe I have a little confidence in this whole thing," Kimi responded with a smile.

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Tommy asked, not sure of where exactly she was going at.

"Ask me that question again in a week and I'll tell you," Kimi replied with a gentle laugh.

---

They thought about dropping her off at The Java Lava, but she said she was tired and wanted to head home. They did pass by the shop to see how everyone was doing. Sure was a packed house for a night in which it was closed to the public. So the only person who would be home was her mother.

He stopped the car next to the front lawn of the house. They each took separate deep breaths and looked at one another. They smiled before she unbuckled herself, opened the door and stepped out. After closing the door, she turned and rested her arms on the window frame to take a good look at him.

"Even though that one week thing is on," Kimi began to say, "I still wanna thank you again for letting me be part of your celebration." They each gave a light laughter.

"Hey, the least I can do for a friend," Tommy said.

After a quiet moment of just look at one another, she sighed while retaining her smile and gently pushed herself to a standing position. "Catch you later, Tommy Pickles," Kimi said, turning to make her way to the house after giving him a wave and one more wide smile.

"Night, Kimi," Tommy called back as he watched her head toward the front door. Once she was inside, he took a deep sigh and turned his attention back to the road. He turned the ignition and slowly drove off.

"One week..." Tommy quietly said to himself aloud.

She took a deep breath once she was inside, leaning against the door after closing it. So many things were swirling in her head. She really needed to lie down on her bed, maybe even take an early nap. No matter that it was 10:30 and she normally stays up beyond midnight on Saturdays. She gently pushed herself off the door and made her way to the stairs.

"Konbanwa, Kimi-chan!" Kira called. She was resting comfortably on the couch, watching some television when she heard her daughter walk through the door.

"Moshimoshi, okaasan!" Kimi responded to her mother.

"How was the celebration?" Kira asked.

"It was fun," Kimi replied without skipping a beat. She had been mentally practicing what she was going to say if anyone asked about the evening. Of course, the only thing that needed to be discarded for the moment was what happened after she won the plush doggy. Speaking of which. "Look what I won!"

---

"So how'd yer celebration go, bro?" Dil asked as he peeked his head through the door, not bothering to knock.

"Pretty good," Tommy exhaled, sounding as tired as he could be. He immediately flopped onto his bed the minute he got home and said a few hellos and good nights to his parents.

"So whatcha see?" Dil pressed.

"_House of Flying Daggers_," Tommy replied.

"No way!" Dil cried. "You saw a Ziyi Zhang flick without the rest of the guys? Ah man, if I had known we were gonna see that for when you passed the driver's test I'd never had pulled that stunt on Angelica. I have to wait two weeks to able to watch a movie. And it might not be there then."

"Well, that's your tough lost," Tommy said, slowly closing his eyes. The brothers would usually stay up past one before hitting the sack. But after tonight, he was just plain tired and doubt he'd function past eleven. "Think I'll turn in early."

"Must've been some date with Kimi, huh?" Dil asked jokingly.

He knew it was meant as a mocking joke. He just hoped his response would come off as the older brother annoyed at his siblings attempts at making him feel embarrassed. "Dylan!" Tommy groaned with frustration.

"Kidding, kidding," Dil responded. "I'll let you get yer beauty sleep, bro. Night." The younger brother snickered before he closed the door.

He sighed as he released all his weight onto the bed. His response to the last question must've worked. But he still had to make it through tomorrow should the others press for information.

"One week..." Tommy whispered before turning off the lamp by his bed.

---

After having slipped into her night clothes, she took another deep breath before gently placing herself upon her bed. She had just slipped underneath the sheets and was about to turn out the lights when a pair of knocks were heard.

"Who is it?" Kimi asked in a tired tone.

"It's your brother," the voice from behind the door said.

She sighed as she thought about whether or not she wanted to talk to him tonight. "Come on in," Kimi said, "but make it quick. I'm pretty pooped out tonight."

The door opened slowly, causing the metallic hinges to creek as her brother poked his head through with that familiar nervous smile of his. "Oh, and I supposed pulling an all-nighter for a bunch of jocks isn't as tiresome as some little celebration for someone who got his license," Chuckie said.

"Place yourself in my shoes and you'll see just how tiring it can be," Kimi responded.

"Then let's hear it," Chuckie said. How did she not know he was going to press for details. "Whatcha guys do tonight that the rest of us had to miss out?"

"Saw a movie, ate some dinner, and hung out in the arcade until the mall closed," Kimi said without skipping a beat. She then put on a smile as she picked up the plush doggy. "It may have been a celebration for Tommy, but I got myself a neat prize at the end of the day."

"Super," Chuckie laughed. "You must've played a lot of those ticket games to get that."

"Well, you guys always preferred the video games where the reward is just having a high score over the ticket games in which you can actually win something," Kimi responded with a giggle.

"You have no idea how competitive Dil and Phil are at those high score games," Chuckie continued to laugh. "Especially at skee ball. I dunno how Tommy was able to talk them into playing that game. Never was any good at it, myself." She wasn't sure if he was going to press any more until she watched him cover his mouth with one hand and yawn. "Well, I might as well turn in myself. Glad to know you had fun tonight. At least one of us did. Night, Kimi."

"Night, Chuckie," Kimi said before he closed the door.

After listening for a moment to hear if he was still hanging around, she sighed deeply and feel back onto her pillow. After staring at the ceiling for a moment, she brought the plush doggy into her view and stared at it. Regardless of what happened after one week, getting this definitely meant something. She gently brought it down so as to hug it against her chest and closed her worried eyes.

"One week..." she sighed. And then she turned out the light.

---

October 6, 2005


	3. Chapter 3

**Certainties**

an _All Grown Up_ fan fiction story

by Lord Akiyama

---

_All Grown Up_ and its characters copyright © Klasky-Csupo, Nickelodeon and Viacom. This story has been produced for sheer fun and enjoyment. Please don't sue.

---

Chapter Three

---

School lunch for Wednesday was spaghetti. The delicious choice of the twins. And it was because of this little fact that their class schedules were such that they had differing lunch periods. As a result of a certain incident during their freshman year that Phil was more than proud to have on his school record. It had become common knowledge that Dil had been looking to pull something that would outshine that particular accomplishment. All the more reason why he didn't get to hang with the others because of their schedule. The one thing the girls were happy about in regards to the adjusted schedule was that they would have lunch together. Perfect time to catch up on the day's gossip and chit-chat they might have missed earlier.

"Should we even be surprised?" Susie gently laughed. "Only the boys would consider seeing a kung fu flick a good time. And since it was meant as a celebration for Tommy, I can see how you wouldn't get the chance to suggest anything else."

"It actually turned out pretty good," Kimi said, slightly giggling in the hope that the others wouldn't look down upon her for such a comment. "It wasn't like those badly dubbed movies they used to watch a while back. This one was actually kinda romantic."

"How can a movie with a title like _House of Flying Daggers_ come off romantic?" Angelica argued.

"Well, if you actually look up what the movie is about you'd be surprised," Kimi responded. "It goes like this. A police officer is assigned the task of infiltrating a rebellion clan by rescuing the blind daughter of their leader. But as their journey progresses, he begins to fall for her and even to the point that he might be willing to defect to the other side for her."

"Whoa, that's pretty dramatic for a kung fu movie," Lil noted in a verbal awe that expressed what the others thought also.

"Watch the film and you'll see just how really dramatic it is," Kimi said with a smile, content with convincing the others about her recommendation. "You know, it kinda tells me that maybe some of the flicks these guys watch isn't as bad as we perceive it to be just because the guys like it."

"Hold up, are you saying we should actually start watching these mindless action extravaganzas and horror fests?" Susie asked with a curious tone and raised brow.

"I was thinking more of a compromise," Kimi replied with a grin. "We let them drag us into one of their movies a couple times. And then we return the favor ten-fold. Who knows, they might actually start liking the stuff we love."

"Because if there are some films these guys like that are actually something we'd tolerate, there's bound to be something we love that they might actually enjoy," Lil said in agreement.

The four girls looked at one another for a moment, their grins growing wider with each passing second. "_MOULIN ROUGE_!" they cried in unison as they leapt from their seats. They laughed along together, not caring if others glanced over at what they were doing or talking about.

"While on the subject of music," Angelica began to say as their laughter died down, "I take it you're all set for tonight's concert. Boy, you sure did get over boy bands and in a hurry."

"Sure boy bands are cute," Kimi noted. "But, oh there's just something dreamy about guys who have this handsome dirty quality about them. And Johnny is as handsomely dirty as they come. Not to mention his music is beautiful to listen to."

"Just don't stray too far into that whole alternative grunge scene," Lil began to giggle. "Remember your pink mohawk?"

"Oh God, don't remind us, girl," Susie moaned along with Angelica. Kimi simply sighed with a shrug. "Honey, just remember that drooling over him and listening to his music is the best way to go."

"Hey, we're teenagers and teenagers go through phases and experience to try and discover themselves," Kimi reasoned. "I dunno how long my obsession with the Goo Goo Dolls will last, but the fact that I experience it is what matters most."

"Getting all philosophical on us, Kimi?" Susie asked with a grin.

"Suppose I am," Kimi replied with a bit of laughter. "I don't mind passing on a piece of wisdom from time to time."

"I doubt it would do us any good," Angelica mocked.

---

"Now remember, Dil," Tommy began to say as they entered Suncoast, "just restrain yourself as much as possible and mom and dad won't know that you're breaking your punishment by hanging out with us while I look for a DVD to buy."

"No problemo, bro," Dil replied with a smile. The elder brother waved a stern finger at him to make sure that he meant it before they followed Phil and Chuckie into the store.

"So what kind of DVD are you looking to get tonight, Tommy?" Chuckie asked as his eyes skimmed through the various cover boxes. "Another one of those artistic independent flicks like _Waking Life_ or something?"

"Or maybe you're banking that we could find another Ziyi Zhang flick," Phil said with a bit of excitement. "I was so stoked when you found _Musa The Warrior_ a few months ago. That was an awesome movie. Still jealous that you saw _House of Flying Daggers_ without us."

"I was thinking of seeing if there was something that would just pop out in front and catch my attention," Tommy responded as he took his time flipping through the various titles the store had to offer.

"So you're going the completely random route, eh bro?" Dil asked, as restrained as he could be.

"Pretty much," Tommy replied with a chuckle.

"What did you get the last time you went random, Tommy?" Chuckie asked curiously.

"_Requiem for a Dream_," Tommy said with a bit of a sigh. "I'm telling you, it wasn't a horror flick, but it sure did scare me. You guys ever want to see a good reason why you shouldn't take drugs, watch that movie. Brilliant movie, though."

"Maybe we should get Dil to watch that someday," Phil joked. The younger Pickle just gave the other a glare, knowing that he promised his brother that he would restrain himself. "Was there anything you've been meaning to see?"

"Well," Tommy began to think aloud. "I've always wanted to check out Christopher Nolan's version of _Insomnia_. You know, the one with Al Pacino and Robin Williams."

"You mean there was a version that film was based on?" Dil asked.

"Yep," Tommy replied. "A foreign film. Forgot which country it came from. Had that one guy in _Good Will Hunting_ who got Robin Williams to examine Matt Damon." Quite suddenly, he found himself in a bit of an ironic situation. In talking about a foreign film, he just so happened to be standing before the foreign films section. And there was a title that seemed to have caught his interest.

The others noticed and looked over his shoulder to get a good look at the DVD he picked up. "'Battle Royal'?" Dil said as he tried to read the title. "Isn't that supposed to be some kinda wrestling match?"

"It's not 'Battle Royal', Dil," Tommy said. "It's '_Battle Royale_'. Royale, like 'Royale with Cheese'."

"Oh, I see," Dil responded. "So it's French?" The others glared at the younger Pickle for a quick moment. "... What?"

"No, it's not French," Tommy replied with a sigh. "It's Japanese."

"Doesn't look like it was ever released officially," Phil said as he examined the cover. "Looks like it was imported. Does it say anything on the back?"

The elder Pickle flipped the cover over to the back and then shook his head. "Nope," Tommy replied. "Doesn't even list who's in the movie." He turned it back and looked at the cover for a moment before shrugging. "I'll give it a shot."

"This should be very interesting," Chuckie said as they made their way to the cash register so Tommy could complete the purchase. "You're gonna hafta tell us what it's about and all."

"Not to mention if its any good, bro," Dil added. "Because I was thinking if I could get first dibs in borrowing it once my two weeks are up."

"That's only if your parents don't find out you hung with us today," Phil chuckled. "What would that be? Another week? Two? Maybe even a month?" He continued to laugh as the other just glared at him.

---

She couldn't wait to start dreaming the minute she closed her eyes. It was a truly amazing concert, everything she hoped for and more. The smile on her face widened as she tried to sleep, dreaming of that one particular moment. When Johnny Rzeznik held her hand, even if it was only for a short second.

He wasn't expecting to have any sort of dream that night. _Battle Royale_ was definitely a different kind of movie, but a good action suspense feature nonetheless. The other guys were sure to enjoy it as much as he did. He turned out the lights and climbed into bed, not really in a hurry to fall asleep.

Her dream couldn't have come fast enough. Surrounded by swirls of color that breathed with life, glowing brighter as they went along with the beat of the music. She loved practically all the songs, so she didn't mind which one was playing. Her dream self spun with glee and soon began to dance along to the song called "Slide."

It started out as not being a dream at all, until the blackness dissolved into the jungle landscape upon the island seen in the film. He could see that it was raining. Remembered this scene. Probably one of the more dramatic moments of the film. He hoped to remind himself of how the scene was written and shot. It was very well made.

As she continued to twirl, she saw a figure standing before her. Much of the figure's face was covered, but she could see that it was smile. It had male features. Certain had that handsomely dirty quality that she loved about Rzeznik. Perhaps the figure was him. She smiled in return and stepped forward, hoping to see if they would dance to the song.

He remembered how amazed he was at how the shots and editing were made. How it was clear that the hero dragged his heavily scared and damaged body to reach the heroine. Struggling to keep moving, but not giving up. Even when he fell and landed hard on his back, he continued to move. Not until she came to him.

Her smile widened as their dance seemed to lift them off of gravity's pull, giving the feeling of limitless flight. The words of the song continue to blaze about. _"Put your arms around me. What you feel is what you are, and what you are is beautiful."_ She felt a gush of energy just flowing out of her upon hearing those words.

It may not have been a strong enough emotional scene that would cause him to cry, but he had to admit it was powerful watching the hero struggle to speak. _"I'm weak and useless... But I'll stay by your side..."_ The heroine shedding tears, overwhelmed with the impact of the hero's words. _"I'll protect you..."_

The figure scooped her into his arms. She felt an incredible sense of warmth that was unlike any other. The figure's mouth then began to mouth, or perhaps sing, the words that continued along with the song. _"Do you wanna get married..."_ She soon got a better view of the figure's face, leaving her in great shock and awe. _"... Or run away..."_

He noticed that the scene wasn't quite piece by piece exactly like what he saw in the movie. It was quite strange, really. This was especially so in regards to the facial appearance of the hero. It wasn't close to what he looked like in the movie. And the face of the heroine. That one stunned him, along with what came out of her mouth. _"... Tommy..."_

She woke with a quick start. Her breathing was a little fast and she wasn't sweating, but she knew her cheeks were increasingly warm. After a moment of collecting her wits together, she looked over to see what time it was. However, the first thing she was the plush doggy. She fell back into the pillow and sighed.

He took his time sitting up, not really sure of what to make of his dream. Although it didn't take him long to realize what it really meant. He didn't bother looking at what time it was before he slowly fell back and rolled to one side. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He had a feeling the next few nights were going to be very difficult to sleep through.

---

"I really need to hit the mall before it closes," Kimi said in a hurry to her mother. "I promise to be right back as soon as I'm done." She gave her mother a quick kiss on the cheek before heading down the stairs.

"Are you sure you can't wait until tomorrow, Kimi-chan?" Kira asked curiously.

"Yes, I'm sure it can't wait until tomorrow, okaasan," Kimi replied as she reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Well... okay," Kira said with a bit of concern in her voice. "Just be very careful, alright."

She came to a stop and turned to face her mother with a reassuring smile. "I will," Kimi said. They each gave the other a wave before she turned and headed for the door.

"What's so important about being at the mall on a Saturday night?" Chuckie asked curiously from the couch, turning away from the television show he was watching. "There a movie playing that I wasn't aware of."

"It's not a movie, Chuckie," Kimi said as she opened the door with haste. "I swear, it's nothing to be worried about." She was about the close the door behind her when she stopped herself and thought about what she had just said. After a moment's thought, she opened the door just a little more to face her brother. "I'll tell you all about it later. I promise."

Her older brother took a deep breath. He finally shrugged and turned back to the television. "Okay," Chuckie said.

Satisfied, she stepped out further and quietly closed the door. Taking a deep breath, she rushed over to her mother's Acura, which she just had the permission to use. She quickly stepped in, buckled her seat belt, and started the ignition. Moments later, she was rolling out of the driveway and began her trek to the mall. It wasn't long before she arrived in the nearly empty parking lot of the mall. She slowed her speed down once she recognized two familiar figures. A Maxima and its driver waiting patiently. She parked the car beside his and slowly stepped out the face the other.

"Sure you wanted to meet this late?" Tommy asked. "I wouldn't qualify 8:30 in the evening being a good time unless you were busy with something."

"Oh, no, I'm sorry about that," Kimi said with a sigh. "It's just that I couldn't think of an earlier time to slip out of the view of my family." He nodded in understanding as they each give nervous chuckles and giggles.

"Well, um..." Tommy tried to begin, bringing a free hand to the back of his head and rubbing his neck. "Well... it's, um... been a week and all..." They both knew they still had trouble speaking about the subject of what previously happened.

"Yeah... a week..." Kimi somewhat repeated in a nervous tone of her own, looking down to watch one of her feet play on its toes. "Well... um... Oh boy... Can't even figure out what exactly to begin with..."

"I know..." Tommy responded with a nervous chuckle. "Um... Well, I guess... um..." He cleared his throat and took a deep breath. He figured that he might as well be the one to speak up. "I, um... I kinda think that... my feelings for you... um... Well, they... um... My feelings for you... kinda... grew... over the week..."

"Really?" Kimi replied softly, looking up to face him. "So, um... So, you really wanna give this a shot?"

"Yeah... yeah, I really do," Tommy replied, feeling a little more confident with what he wanted to say after getting the important one off his chest. He took a deep breath and looked her in the eyes. "How about you?"

"Oh, well... um..." Kimi began, noticing that her eyes were trying to dart away from his view and her cheeks were turning pink. "I, um... well..." She stopped herself short and took one really deep breath. "I... I think my feelings for you... um... Well... I think my feelings for you grew... also... over the week..."

"Really?" Tommy responded with a bit of delight. He smiled gently and gave a light chuckle. "Wow... guess we kinda decided on what we're gonna do next."

"Yeah, really..." Kimi replied with a giggle, her smile widening a little with relief. She took a deep breath and watched moments later as he slowly took one of her hands into his. They lightly laughed. "Well... now that we're gonna be officially dating, what do we do now?"

"I dunno," Tommy shrugged. His attention was suddenly turned to something that was behind her. "Well, um... I think maybe we should let the others in on what we've decided."

"Really?" Kimi replied curiously. "Don't you think that's a little quick to just say we're gonna be dating when we've just decided to do so?" She didn't catch on that he wasn't quite facing her.

"Under normal circumstances, yeah," Tommy replied, motioning his head to what he was seeing. "But I don't we have a choice." He watched as she curiously turned to see what he was talking about.

She squinted her eyes a bit, trying to figure if her eyes were playing with her. They weren't as she looked straight as the figure hiding behind her car. "Chuckie?" Kimi said.

---

October 7, 2005


	4. Chapter 4

**Certainties**

an _All Grown Up_ fan fiction story

by Lord Akiyama

---

_All Grown Up_ and its characters copyright © Klasky-Csupo, Nickelodeon and Viacom. This story has been produced for sheer fun and enjoyment. Please don't sue.

---

Chapter Four

---

Just moments before, he had confessed his feelings to his best friend's sister about having a relationship that was more than just friendship. And she returned the same kind of confession to him. Then they noticed that her brother had followed her. At first, he thought he should be worried about his best friend's reaction to all this. He still was, but it just wasn't the dominating concern on the moment. Instead, it was concern for his best friend's well being.

"I can't believe you followed me!" Kimi screamed at the top of her lungs at her brother. "I promised you that I'd tell you all about it, but oh no! You couldn't wait! You couldn't trust your own sister!"

"Well, I, I, I was concerned!" Chuckie responded in his own high volume voice. Only it wasn't as dominating, sounding more like he was scared of what might happen next. "You went out at a strange hour and, well, I just wanted to make sure you were going to be okay."

"Chuckie, I'm only half a year younger than you!" Kimi continued to yell. "And we both know mom has taught me enough about defending myself if I ever get into any trouble. Geez, Chuckie, I know you're looking out for my well being, but why do I get the feeling I'm gonna hafta look over my shoulder for another fifteen years before you finally stop following me, thus allowing me to live my life peacefully."

She sighed before crossing her arms and looking away from her brother with a stern look on her face. Chuckie gave a sigh of his own, hanging his head in shame and watching one of his feet play about on his toes. Moments later, he glanced up to look at Tommy. The other gave a nervous smile at his best friend.

"Well, aren't you gonna say something?" Chuckie asked. "You haven't said a word since you spotted me."

"That's because I wasn't sure of your reaction and figured it would only make the situation worse if I opened my mouth," Tommy replied. "Figured would be best if I didn't speak until I was spoken to."

"Ah," Chuckie said. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, I kinda forgot what exactly as I was feeling as soon as Kimi started making me feel bad what I did. Which I know is wrong, but you know me."

"Yeah, the ever concerned older brother," Tommy responded with a nervous chuckle. "Which was why I wasn't sure of how you would've reacted to the sight of your best friend holding your sister's hand in a more than friendly manner."

"I might've been a little upset," Chuckie said. "But I heard part of what you guys were saying. And even that didn't really quite really help me understand just what was going on and what you guys were talking about."

She gave a heavy sigh before losing the stern look and faced her brother. "Okay, here's the deal," Kimi began. "Tommy and I decided just now that we've began to develop a relationship that was more than just friendship. It came about last week, but we weren't really sure if these feelings were gonna last or not. So we decided to wait a week and see what happened. That's why we're here, to see if we were gonna end up dating or not."

Her brother nodded as he was taking in everything that was being said. "So you guys just decided when you found me," Chuckie summarized. "Well, at least you guys didn't keep that a secret. Or were you."

"We were about to talk about how and when to tell you guys when we spotted you," Tommy said. "So, in a sense, we weren't gonna keep it a secret. We knew you guys needed to know."

"Okay, so this thing wasn't exactly gonna be a secret," Chuckie sighed. "Makes me feel a little bit better. But then... you said that it came about from last week. When Tommy got his license? How exactly did that happen?"

This was the part that made them nervous. Just how exactly was he gonna react. She took a deep breath. "After the mall closed, we, um..." Kimi began with a bit of nervousness. "We accidentally... kinda... kissed."

"Whoa, you guys kissed?" Chuckie responded. He sounded more confused than anything else, which made it hard for the others to get good read of how he was taking it. He was silent for a moment, scratching the top of his head with his right hand. "So, um... how did this 'accidental' kiss came about?"

"We, um..." Tommy began, still not show how exactly his best friend was really reacting. "She thanked me for bringing her along, we shared a laugh, and then... we kinda kissed and quickly pulled back."

"It was a quick kiss?" Chuckie asked. The others nodded. "I see." Chuckie turned his head away for a moment, taking a deep breath as he let this information process in his head. "So... you kissed, realize what you were doing, weren't exactly sure about if your feelings for each other were positive or just some minor phase, waited a week to see if it would last, and decided just now that those feelings stuck and were going to officially date." The other nodded more slowly, still not sure at exactly how he was taking this. "Well... if you guys just decided upon this and weren't gonna keep it a secret from the rest of us, than I guess I'm fine with it."

Now they were really taken aback by his response. "Really?" Kimi asked. "You're not mad or upset or anything?"

"I really dunno if I should be," Chuckie shrugged, still looking rather confused. "I mean, this is the strangest way of two people hooking up that I've ever seen. And its between my best friend and my sister. I really dunno what to say, but if you guys are serious about it I'm all for it."

"Wow," Tommy managed to mutter. "That's kinda... Well... Thanks for understanding."

"I may be overprotective of my sister, but I don't think there's much to be upset about if you guys just decided upon all this," Chuckie responded, growing a smile and then shrugged. "Besides, I'm probably more at ease that it's my best friend she's going out with than someone I never heard of."

"Glad you're taking this well," Kimi said, smiling with relief.

"No problem, sis," Chuckie said. He suddenly shifted from smiling to looking a bit worried. "Although, since it is Tommy you're about to date, it might be a long night if I end up having dreams about you two..."

"Don't you dare finish that sentence, Chuckie!" Kimi cried, her face turning crimson red with embarrassment just as Tommy was. "I don't want to be thinking about that until I am absolutely sure I'm ready!"

"Geez, Chuckie," Tommy said with a nervous smile, feeling his cheeks get increasingly warmer. "I was nervous enough just trying to tell your sister how I felt about her."

"Oh, uh..." Chuckie muttered with an embarrassed chuckle. "Sorry about that."

---

"Whoa, you're going out with Kimi?" Dil asked. "That's pretty cool, T."

"You think so?" Tommy asked curiously, lying down on his bed and momentarily look at the ceiling before his eyes turned to his brother. There was a feeling he had a not-so-good idea where the younger Pickle was going.

"Yeah, bro," Dil replied. "I mean, it's really cool to see you get a girlfriend, and all. Mom and dad were kinda worried that if went dateless too long they might have to ask me to set you up on blind dates."

"They asked you to what?" Tommy responded, nearly raising his voice loud enough to escape his bedroom.

"I know, it was a weird thing for them to ask me," Dil said. He watched his brother glare at him for a moment. "Well... okay, so mom and dad didn't really ask me to do that, I thought of it on my own. But they were worried that you might be dateless before your senior prom."

"Oh my God, what kind of family have I gotten myself into," Tommy groan, slapping hand upon his forehead.

"Well, at least you don't have to worry now that you do have a girlfriend," Dil said. "Even better is that it's with Kimi. She really cool, and I think you two will do just fine."

"Thanks for that support, at least," Tommy sighed. "But I have to say, you just made things a lot more embarrassing. After Kimi and I decided to make it official, just immediately after mind you, we found Chuckie spying on us."

"Whoa, Chuckie followed her?" Dil asked with a bit more excited enthusiasm than he should. "Ah, dude, this is even cooler. I can just so see this in a movie. Whoa! Inspiration, bro! You could make the movie!"

"Geez, Dylan!" Tommy shouted, in a bit of a complaining manner. "Can you please stop this so that I could actually get a good night's sleep? I know it's Saturday, but you're just making me that much more nervous."

"What's there to be nervous about?" Dil asked curiously. "Did Chuckie threaten to beat you up or something?"

"No, he was surprisingly cool about me dating his sister," Tommy replied, feeling a little more relaxed. "It's just that after we explained everything, he kinda made things embarrassing by almost mentioning how far our relationship could go."

"Almost?" Dil repeated with a raised brow. Then he got it through his head. "Oh, he was talking about you two..."

"DYLAN!" Tommy screamed. He then slapped both hands on his face and groaned with embarrassment. "Why did you have to mention that? Just the thought of it is enough to make me afraid of sleeping tonight in fear that I'll dream it."

"What's so bad about that?" Dil asked, confused but retaining his enthusiasm. "You've stated that you really like Kimi. And it's perfectly normal for us boys to dream about it, right? What's so bad about dreaming about it with her?"

"Because it will make us even more nervous whenever we're together," Tommy replied with a moan. "I mean, if we think about it too much, we're gonna pressure each other to throw caution to the wind and give it a shot. And we don't want to because lord knows we're not even ready to take that big of a step. Not to mention that's probably the biggest concern both her parents and ours have when we tell them about our beginning to date."

"Okay, okay," Dil said. "Geez, I'm sorry, bro. Didn't think you'd get all worked up like this. Figured you'd be very excited about having a girlfriend."

"I should be, too," Tommy sighed, calming down a bit. "But it's just that there's this whole sense of nervousness to the fact that we've been friends since we were one and we really want to make sure that by taking our relationship to the next step past friendship we won't be hurting each other if it ends up not working. And now our brothers, both you and Chuckie, are just killing us with embarrassment about something that we are so not ready to think about yet."

"Whoa, that is pretty heavy, T," Dil said, scratching his head. "Guess I never really thought of that. Man, I guess having a girlfriend is a pretty big deal."

"You have no idea," Tommy muttered.

A pair of knocks were made on his door. "Tommy?" said the muffle voice from the other side. It was the all too familiar voice of their mother. "Is everything alright? I heard you screaming."

He closed his eyes and groaned. "Oh God, I can't believe this," Tommy said. "I screamed so loud that I caught mom and dad's attention." He sighed as he rolled out of bed. "Now I have to tell them about the whole thing."

---

"So you and Tommy-san are going to be dating?" Kira asked her daughter as they sat at the kitchen table. The other nodded silently. "When did you decide this and how soon were you going to tell us?"

"Well, Tommy and I decided on it tonight," Kimi replied. "We were about to figure out when to tell you when we spotted Chuckie. We ended up having to tell him everything. I got really nervous about when exactly I was going to tell you and dad, so I figured I'd better tell you now if you were awake. Guess dad isn't back from The Java Lava yet, huh?"

"No, there were a couple things he needed to finish up," Kira nodded before she sighed. "Well, I'm glad you told me as soon as you did, Kimi-chan. I guess I don't have to go into the whole 'being worried and concerned about your well being' talk after you found out Chuckie followed you."

"I was prepared for it," Kimi began to giggle, relaxing a little more about speaking with her mother.

"Don't worry, you won't hear it again tonight," Kira assured. "Your father might tomorrow after I tell him tonight, but I'll try to keep him from doing so."

"Thanks, mom," Kimi said.

"That's what mother's are for," Kira responded with a smile of her own. "I'm very happy that you're taking the steps that you are in making your decisions, Kimi-chan. You waited until you were sure that you and Tommy-san were ready to start a relationship beyond friendship and you didn't keep this a secret. Not a whole lot of parents get to have children who are careful about engaging relationships as you were."

"Yeah, I'm quite glad I did so, too," Kimi sighed. "Although we were kinda afraid being that we've been friends since we were one and we honestly didn't know how things would go both between us and with everyone else."

"It is perfectly normal to be concerned about being in a relationship with someone, Kimi-chan," Kira said, placing a hand on her daughter's. "It is not something you can just figure out immediately, even after you read about it or hear about from others like myself or any of your friends. The first experience of really developing a relationship with someone is always the most nerve-racking, because you always feel that you should get it right the first time. I can only imagine it being even more nerve-racking since Tommy-san has been amongst the closest of your friends and that you're afraid that if this relationship doesn't work the friendship you two developed will dissolve."

"That's the biggest of our concerns about engaging in a relationship, that's for sure," Kimi said.

"Just remember this, Kimi-chan," Kira said. "No matter what happens, nothing can ever take away the memories and the experiences you two shared with one another. Both as friends and now as a couple. Even if everything were to end, those fifteen years you had together will never be erased. Cherish them and they will live on forever."

She took a big sigh after listing to her mother's words. It was perhaps the exact thing she wanted to hear ever since she and Tommy even thought about developing a relationship. The assurance that their friendship will remain, even if for whatever reason it were to end.

"Arigato, okaasan," Kimi said with a smile.

"Your welcome, my musume," Kira said in return.

---

October 8, 2005


	5. Chapter 5

**Certainties**

an _All Grown Up_ fan fiction story

by Lord Akiyama

---

_All Grown Up_ and its characters copyright © Klasky-Csupo, Nickelodeon and Viacom. This story has been produced for sheer fun and enjoyment. Please don't sue.

---

Chapter Five

---

As much as the girls hated to admit it, Phil had a point when he repeated a joke he heard on television. The one about the key to a woman's heart was somewhere in the mall. Because if anything, the girls would take their minds off of any troubles or gossip about their situations while looking to restock their wardrobe, add to their shoe rack, or just get something to relieve their stress. On a typical Sunday Shopping Spree, clothing would usually be the answer.

"You're going out with Tommy?" Angelica cried in a state of shock, pealing her eyes away from the mirror just for a moment so that she could face Kimi. "Because of an accidental kiss? Man, if I had known that was the trick to dating a guy, I would've done that months ago."

"But that would've qualified as a staged kiss, Angelica," Susie pointed out, glancing over at Angelica while retaining her view on the mirror. "Kimi wasn't expecting to find herself kissing Tommy. That is how an accidental kiss comes about."

"What I'm surprised about is your saying Chuckie doesn't really have that big of a problem with his best friend dating you, his sister," Lil said, not turning away from analyzing how she looked in the current set of clothing she draped over her body. "I still remember the last time he caught a guy checking you out in an inappropriate manner. Do you think maybe he's a bit too acceptable of your dating Tommy?"

"Well, I kinda got the feeling this morning," Kimi replied, doing the same routine Lil was while the others regrouped themselves. "Because of his big mouth from last night, he told me could be developing second thoughts after dreaming about just how far my relationship with Tommy could go."

"And that just goes to show one thing, girls," Susie said with a grin. "When it comes to girls, all boys think about the same thing. S-E-X. They may not think about it all the time, but it is their predominant thought once they hit puberty."

"I so did not want to think about that," Kimi sighed with a hint of a groan. "Tommy and I just decided upon being a couple last night and already our brothers are foolishly making it tough for us to avoid having such visuals implanted in our heads. Tommy talked about his not being able to sleep well last night because Dil wouldn't shut up."

"Why am I not surprised?" Angelica said. "Wild child's brain is on such a far away planet that it makes it difficult to tell him something important without him blowing it out of proportion. How Tommy manages to live with him is beyond me."

"And Phil's not too far behind, either," Lil sighed. "I am gonna be so worried the minute I get a boyfriend."

"At least your brother isn't as open about his overprotective nature of you as Chuckie is over me," Kimi said. "Chuckie might look like he's having second thoughts, but he says that he's still okay with me and Tommy together. But he is one of my biggest concerns because I'm sure he'll snap if for some reason Tommy and I call it quits. He'll hound his best friend for answers as to why he couldn't make me happy enough so that we could stay together."

"Even if, under such a hypothetical situation, you were to split under extremely calm and friendly terms?" Susie asked. She glanced over to see Kimi nod. "Makes me glad my brothers moved out when they did."

"Oh, go ahead and keep flaunting it in our faces," Lil noted with a giggle. "As we've no doubt etched in stone, brothers will embarrass you to death whether they are accepting or against whomever you date."

"And under my circumstances, male cousins can also be included in that group," Angelica said with a bit of annoyance. "Tommy and Dil wouldn't get off my case when I finally got myself a boyfriend. Always wanting to rundown of what happened every time we got together, begging that I reveal every little detail. I even threatened Tommy that I would smash his precious camera if he even though about using that to document my personal business."

"I think it's pretty safe to say that boys are, and will always be, pathetic," Susie said with a laugh. "They pride themselves as the dominant gender and yet they are disturbingly clueless when it comes to dating."

"Um, guys," Kimi sheepishly said. "I really dunno if this is making me any less nervous about the whole thing. I mean, I really do like Tommy as a friend and more. It's just that we really dunno how far we can make this go. We've been friends since we were one and have never really considered each other an item, save for that time someone put that heart in my basement."

"You actually thought about the idea then?" Susie asked curiously.

"I dunno," Kimi sighed. "I guess I'm just worrying myself so much over this. Worried of how long this relationship can last. Worried that if it ends, how soon and how it effects our friendship. Worried how Chuckie really thinks and how the whole thing effects his friendship with Tommy. And I can't stop worrying myself over this."

"Sure are taking this whole dating thing more seriously than I did," Angelica noted.

"I'm sorry about letting it out on you guys," Kimi said. "I just never really thought the idea of this kind of relationship could end up actually coming true. I dunno about the rest of you, but not once did I imagine myself dating Tommy or even Phil or Dil."

"Way too old to even think about it," Angelica snorted.

"And having been the babysitter for these guys, it just would've been really weird for me," Susie laughed.

"Well, um..." Lil began to mutter sheepishly. "I, uh... did at one point had a minor crush on Tommy."

"Really?" Angelica said, verbally echoing what the others thought. Although Kimi began to look a bit unhappy.

"Somewhat," Lil replied, trying to cover herself in embarrassment. "A couple years back, I kinda started imagining myself with Tommy and all. But then I stopped thinking about it for some reason and forgot the whole thing."

"You don't even remember what stopped you?" Kimi asked, acting almost jealous of what she was hearing.

"I'm not really sure," Lil answered with a shrug. "I mean, I was working my butt off to make varsity on the soccer team since he started high school. Guess I never really thought much of it and kept going with what I was focusing on at the moment." She made an embarrassed glance over to Kimi, not really sure if she wanted to see if the other had a not so pleasant reaction to this bit of information. "Sorry if I, um... upset you with my mentioning that."

"Oh, that's okay," Kimi responded. She then sighed and fell to a sitting position. "I don't think I've been this obsessed over something since I went all out about my Japanese heritage." The others seconded that with nods to one another. "And I'm just really nervous about how the whole thing goes."

"Oh, don't go all damsel in distress on us, girl," Susie said, sitting down next to Kimi and placing a comforting left hand on the other's right shoulder. "You're over analyzing this whole thing. Slow down, relax, take a deep breath, and just concentrate on what's in front of you, not beyond it. Just be yourself and you'll do fine. Alright?"

Kimi took a deep breath and nodded before giving a reassuring smile. Be herself. She'll do fine.

---

The equivalent of a Sunday Shopping Spree for the guys was a trip to the arcade and a near endless round of skee ball. Highest score by the time they had to leave gets the bragging rights. And fifteen dollars richer. Tommy was in the lead, but Dil was banking on that lead getting cut down by heating up the pressure. Talking about what happened last night.

"So lemme get this straight," Phil said after he rolled another ball before facing the others. "You accidentally kissed Kimi, a girl you've been friends with since you guys were one, who happens to be your best friend's sister, started having feelings for her, waited a week to see if those feelings lasted, decided to hook up, discovered that Chuckie followed her, immediately get embarrassed at his mention of you two sleeping together, come home, have Dil further embarrass you with the same subject and more, scream so loud that you caught your parents' attention, and were left with no choice but to tell them everything that very same night. Geez, if that ain't the strangest hook up I've ever heard, I dunno what is."

"Thanks for the support," Tommy sighed before rolling another ball.

"Oh no, I think it's cool you guys are going out," Phil quickly responded. "I just think it's strange in a funny way that all of this happened practically within the span of a week. Normally it takes three of five before the whole getting embarrassed by family members thing kicks into effect."

"Perhaps we should be thankful that you're a friend and not a member of the family then," Chuckie sighed, rolling another ball of his own. "I really couldn't sleep last night because of the visual image of my best friend sleeping with my sister."

"That one is your own fault, Chuckie," Tommy said. "You opened your mouth on the subject, and now you're paying the consequences of your actions. Granted I didn't have much of a good night sleep either, thanks to you and Dil. Kimi and I have barely been a couple less than 24 hours and already I'm scared that the thought of us in bed could become real when we both are far from ready."

"Have you ever seen T this wound up before, Phil?" Dil chuckled before rolling his next ball. "Who would've thought that it would take his developing feelings for Kimi and actually going out with her to make him this much of a nervous wreck. Makes all my other attempts to embarrass him look like child's play."

"They were child's play, Dil," Tommy groaned, but shaking his head with a light smile. "The difference, Dil, is that what Kimi and I are developing is something that is much more than conventional friendship. We kinda do have to take things a bit more seriously than before because we're putting a lot of ourselves into this. We could end up hurting each other if things fall apart badly. And we're both pretty scared of doing that in addition to causing harm to our friendship."

"But you're seemingly willing to take the risk with my sister," Chuckie said. He didn't mean for it to sound bitter, although he honestly couldn't think of a better way to word it.

"Yeah, I really am," Tommy sighed. Even though Chuckie said he was okay with the two of them going out, he had the feeling that his true feelings over the whole thing were being held back. "I really like Kimi a lot and she the same for me. But everything is so strange because there is so much that kinda got placed on the pedestal with us. Not just our feelings for one another, but our friendship, my friendship with you, and a dozen or so other factors that we needed a week to think about before deciding on whether or not to move forward. And we believe we can make a go of it."

"Whoa, that's pretty heavy, man," Phil said. "Sounds like guys are as serious as can be about your relationship."

"Sorry if it seems like I'm a little paranoid over the whole thing," Tommy sighed.

"Hey, it's like I said," Phil chuckled. "I think you guys look pretty good together. Always thought about what it be like to date one of the girls. Although it's pretty weird thinking about Angelica and Susie, so Kimi always seemed like someone I could hang out with if I had to choose one."

"Wait, you thought about wanting to date my sister?" Chuckie cried, nearly dropping a ball on his foot.

"Not seriously," Phil said, not really paying attention to the fact that both Chuckie and Tommy were giving him hard glares. "I just imagined that if I were placed in a situation where I had to choose one of the girls to go on a date with it would be Kimi." After rolling another ball, he had a feeling he wasn't being looked at positively. "You guys know it was just a random thought... right?"

---

"My God," Kimi groaned, slumping in her seat and playing with the straw in her smoothie. "You think you know a person forever and then they suddenly confess that they had thoughts about wanting to date you, but never said a word about it."

"Sure does make things all that more complicated," Tommy sighed before taking a sip of his.

The two decided to have an impromptu hook up at The Java Lava. Usually there barely would be any customers towards closing hour. And since the others were going to be elsewhere, they figured now would be a good time to make sure they were still going forward with their relationship. Especially after the revelation dropped by Phil and Lil.

"Can I ask you something that I hope won't sound... I dunno... sound like I'm jealous or selfish..." Kimi began to say.

"Uh... sure," Tommy replied nervously. "What's on your mind?"

"It's about the twins, I'm sorry," Kimi sighed. "You said that Phil thought about wanting to date me if he had to chose one of us girls. Well... did you ever... um... think about that? Think about which one of us you wanted to date?"

He knew by mentioning what Phil had said she was going to question him about it. He took a deep breath. The thought of avoiding the question or lying crossed his mind. But they just decided to start dating. And the idea of not telling the truth to someone he's been friends with since they were babies. He just wasn't sure how she would react if he told her the truth. He looked into her worried eyes and sighed again.

"I... kinda did..." Tommy sheepishly said. "And, um... I actually thought about what it was like dating you at one point... and Lil at another. I even thought about Susie, but it didn't last." They both nervously laughed.

She knew that by asking him the question that she may not like him telling the truth. And at the same time did not want him to lie for her sake. This was one of the things they were unsure about when they decided to take that week to figure out if they really did want to pursue dating one another. It was at this moment that she realized that all the time in the world wouldn't have mattered. They would have needed to confront these issues any way.

"So you did think about wanting to date... Lil at one point?" Kimi pushed, though not intentionally.

"Yeah..." Tommy sighed. "I thought about it a few nights. Then I guess I just gave up on the thought, you know. Didn't really think much of it and just moved on to what was more important to me at the time. Getting a job."

She gave a light laugh at his explanation. "What about when you thought about me?" Kimi asked. "How long did you think about wanting to date me? Before that accidental kiss, that is."

He took a deep breath. No sense in lying. "A full week once," Tommy confessed. "Not when we saw that heart with our initials in your basement. When we were really young. I think maybe around seven or eight."

"Really?" Kimi asked in surprise. "While we were still kids?"

He nodded. "I think it was after your birthday, you know," Tommy continued. "I got you that jacket you always wanted, the red one that you could still wear although the bottom would now only go down to your hip." She laughed in recognition. "Yeah, that one. I remember seeing how really happy you were that you got that jacket. And I remember just how happy I was that you got that jacket. Feeling even more happy that I got to give it to you. That night, I started thinking about you and me really being more than just friends, you know."

He could see that she was in great awe at what he was telling her. A light smile came upon his lips, thinking back to such a fond memory and being able to tell her how he really felt then. He watched her form a light smile of her own.

"You know... I kinda thought about you the same way, too, back then," Kimi said rather sheepishly, trying to find bring her shoulders up and not blush. "I remember mom and dad talking about whether they should by that jacket, even though it was the one I really wanted. And to see it among my presents... I was just so happy. So happy that someone cared enough about me to give it to me for my birthday. I think I spent a week myself just thinking about what a wonderful person you were, Tommy. That you cared so much for me."

They stared into each other's eyes, having listened to everything they had to say about that wonderful moment in their lives. The thought of the twins having had crushes on them was the farthest thing they could think about. They practically forgot about having been embarrassed by their brothers last night. All they could think about was each other and the happiness they shared for one another.

When moments of endless staring ended, he leaned in and gave her a gentle kiss on the lips. When he pulled back, he noticed that her smile widened. And there was that look in her eyes. Like she was filled with joy that they kissed.

"You know," Tommy began to say, "I think this is gonna work for us."

"Yeah," Kimi said, giving out a lovingly sigh. "I think so, too."

---

Edited October 12, 2005

Thanks to crazyvi, acosta pérez josé ramiro and XxXCocoPuffXxX for the heads up on my bust.


	6. Chapter 6

**Certainties**

an _All Grown Up_ fan fiction story

by Lord Akiyama

---

_All Grown Up_ and its characters copyright © Klasky-Csupo, Nickelodeon and Viacom. This story has been produced for sheer fun and enjoyment. Please don't sue.

---

Chapter Six

---

They set their first day for Friday night, almost immediately after school. They were really excited about finally putting this whole going out together as a couple thing to the test. But at the same time, they had concerns about the others. Sure they were accepting of their having a relationship. But know who some of these guys are, they were worried that they'll do things to make the date less enjoyment. Especially when both brothers are more than willing to spy on them.

"I want you to promise me that you won't follow or spy on us, Dil," Tommy said firmly, turning away from the mirror so that he could look his brother in the eyes.

"Okay, okay, I won't follow or spy on you two," Dil said.

"Swear it, Dil," Tommy demanded. "Both hands raised so you won't cross your fingers."

"Alright, alight," Dil groaned a bit as he raised both hands as though he was getting arrested. "Geez, you don't have to be uptight about it, bro. I swear that I won't follow or spy on you and Kimi's first date. Happy?"

"For now," Tommy sighed, turning back to the mirror to adjust his collar. "Nervous enough about mom making too big of a deal out of this and wanting me to dress like I'm getting married." Satisfied that he looked ready, he took another deep breath and turned away from the mirror. "I just don't want anything to happen that'll make us feel uncomfortable."

"And me spying on you would do that," Dil deduced.

"Because I know you, Dil," Tommy said. "You follow us, you spy on us, you do things that end up making the evening go sour even if you didn't intend on doing it. It may not be as big of a deal as mom wants to make it out to be, but it's still really important to me and Kimi that you guys just let us be. We want this to go down on our own accord. Believe me, when you have a girlfriend of your own and you start dating, you'll see what I'm trying to say."

"Guess I'll have to take your word for it, T," Dil shrugged. "Well, I guess the rest of us can figure out what to do with you and Kimi wanting some alone time. Got any suggestions?"

"Outside of staying away from us?" Tommy replied. Oddly enough, Dil caught the joke and chuckled. "Well, the school's football team is hosting a game tonight."

"I dunno, T," Dil said. "High school football games are really weird to be a part of."

"Then I guess that's something you guys have to figure out on your own," Tommy sighed. "I can't think of any other suggestions since Kimi and I have a date tonight. If you guys plan on going out, just steer clear of Bento and the movie theater. That's where we're pretty much gonna be."

"You want us to avoid the movie theater?" Dil repeated. "You mean we can't go to the mall because of your date?"

"Not that movie theater, Dil," Tommy assured. "There's another one on the other side of town we're going to. We won't be hitting the mall tonight. Besides, that theater is not playing the movie we're seeing."

"Whatcha gonna watch?" Dil asked.

"I'm not telling you," Tommy said. "I will when I get back, but just please stay away from us tonight. I really mean it."

"Okay, okay, you don't have to worry so much about me following you guys," Dil said. "I think I can talk the twins into going with me elsewhere." He then had a thought running through his head. "You think Kimi's fairing any better with her brother than you did with me?"

"We'll consider the date a success if she can convince Chuckie to not even come within fifty feet of us," Tommy sighed.

---

"Are you sure?" Chuckie asked sheepishly. "I mean, maybe something could happen, you know. And you guys could need me or something. I dunno, I just wanna make sure you're okay."

"Chuckie, I am going out on a limb in begging you to not tail us tonight," Kimi groaned, her attention on the mirror as she made sure the shirt and skirt went with her precious red jacket. "If I have to, I will tie you up just so you won't follow."

"A-Are you serious?" Chuckie asked in shock and terror.

"Yes, Chuckie!" Kimi yelled, turning away from the mirror to face him with a stern look. "I will do great harm to you if I catch you within fifty feet of us. I am that serious about how much I want to be alone with Tommy tonight."

"Oh, um... o-okay..." Chuckie quietly muttered.

She sighed, knowing that losing her cool would end up scaring him. She held his arms and gave him her best reassuring smile. "Listen to me, big brother," Kimi said. "I know how much you care for me. Being the older brother, you're just looking out for the well being of your younger sister. But you're taking this way beyond the limit of being overprotective of me, alright? I love you a lot, but you have to understand that we can't be together forever. You could be on the east coast and I could be on the west. You can't just fly or drive over just because you're worried about me. You have to trust that I will be able to take care of myself. You have to see that you can't always be there for me. You understand?"

He shook a little, finding himself in a tough place. He knew that she was right. "Y-Yeah..." Chuckie muttered.

She sighed again. "You shouldn't have to worry too much any way," Kimi continued. "I'm with your best friend and he knows how precious I am to you and to mom and dad. He will be able to take care of me when I can't, so you can stop being so concerned, alright? I'll be with Tommy the whole time. So don't sweat it."

He gave a sigh after taking in all of that. "Okay..." Chuckie managed to say. "As long as you'll be alright..."

"I will be," Kimi said, widening her smile. "I promise." She gave her brother a hug and then turned her attention back to the mirror for another peek at how she looked and then gave a sigh. "Hope he likes how they go with the jacket."

"You look really nice, Kimi," Chuckie said, giving off a smile.

She glance over to him and made a light giggle. "Why thank you, Chuckie," Kimi said. "Makes me feel a lot better." Moments later, they heard the door bell ring. "Oh my God, he's here!" She began to panic a little, making sure she had everything ready. Soon enough, her attention was back onto brother and began to wave a stern finger at him. "Swear to me, Chuckie. Swear that you won't follow us."

"Okay, okay, I swear," Chuckie immediately said, throwing his hands in the air. Watching his sister in the state that she was, wanting to have everything perfect, intimidated him. "Well... I hope you have fun."

She took a deep breath and smile. "I think I will," Kimi said. "Well... I'll see you when I get back." The two siblings took a look at one another before she turned and stepped out.

---

"Wow..." Tommy quietly said, shaking himself from the trance he was in after watching her appear in her clothing for the night. "You look... very pretty..."

"Why thank you, Tommy," Kimi sheepishly replied, not sure if she was blushing or not. "You look pretty handsome yourself. Guess we're getting this thing off on the right foot."

"Yeah," Tommy chuckled along to her giggle. He took a deep breath as he looked around to see that they were the only ones in the room. Seemed like her parents disappeared just before she came down the stares. So it was just the two of them. At least, in his visual sight. "Well, that's one down. How about we get going?"

"But of course," Kimi continued to giggle. "Lead the way, Tommy Pickles."

They smiled before he opened the door for her and they stepped out of her house. He once again borrowed the Maxima, which he parked in the driveway this time around. She tried to keep from blushing a lot whenever he snuck a look at her the appeared as though he was looking at her in a dream-like state or when he went out of his way to be a gentleman, like opening the passenger side door of the car just for her. Probably a piece of advice he got from his dad.

"So, where to first?" Kimi asked when he started the car.

"I figured we'd eat dinner first before catching a movie," Tommy replied as he began to pull out of the driveway.

"Sounds good to me," Kimi said with a light giggle. "Did you have any place in mind, or were you gonna leave that to me?" She remembered Susie's advice of just being herself. It made going through the whole thing more relaxing.

"Well, I thought we could hit the local Bento," Tommy chuckled a little as he set the car out of reverse and drove onward down the road. "Figured we keep it simple, but a little fancy at the same time."

"And something I'd be quite at ease with, eh?" Kimi giggled. "A Japanese restaurant. Now you're being too kind."

"It was either that or Olive Garden," Tommy said. "And we both know that while we love the food, it's a bit expensive and it sure does take a while for the food to arrive. Not to mention there's a lot more people there than at Bento."

"You sure do have thought this through," Kimi said. "How long ago did you actually start planning our date?"

"I had an idea when I asked you out," Tommy replied. "But I spent most of the day Wednesday figuring out where we could go that would be something you would like. I mean, the mall isn't quite the appropriate setting for a first date."

"That's for sure," Kimi agreed. "We'd be doing our own individual thing more than spending time together. Plus, I'd be spending a lot of money both in my account and from your pockets." They shared a laugh over the last statement. "Well, since we established what we are having for dinner, what are we gonna see?"

"That one, I'm thinking of saving as a surprise," Tommy said with a bit of a grin.

"A secret, eh?" Kimi responded with a grin of her own. "Sounds like you're looking to give this first date some added value and leave quite a lasting impression."

"Well, I kinda figured I needed to push myself if I wanted to get back to that moment where I made you happy," Tommy said, his grin becoming a simple smile. "Like I needed to do something that feels like or turns out better than when I got you that jacket for your birthday."

She blushed a little more. Looking at him, she could tell that he sure did want this relationship to work. "Well, I don't think you have to worry about whether or not I'm happy tonight," Kimi said. "Because I already am." They shared a silent look at one another, smiling along, before he quickly turned his attention back to the road.

---

"We don't have to head back this very minute," Tommy suggested as they walked out of the movie theater. "Wanna walk about for a bit and get some fresh air?" He had his right arm wrapped around her from behind with a smile on his face.

"Sounds good to me," Kimi replied with a light giggle to match her smile. "I think we've had our share of sitting from being in the car, in Bento, and in the movie theater. Moving our legs would be a nice idea for a change."

After giving each other a gentle look, they continued onward in the opposite direction of where he parked the car. Soon enough, they were walking away from the neighborhood area and down a sidewalk leading them to a small pond. Only the moon was about to cast light upon them as they began to repeatedly circle the body of water. Moments later, she began to hum along to one of the songs from the movie.

"You think you know some of the lyrics?" Tommy asked.

"Maybe," Kimi replied. "How about this? _We never said our love was evergreen, or as unchanging as the sea. But if you can still remember, stop and think of me._ I only remember a couple after that, though. That song was all the way back at the beginning of the film.

"Hey, it's better than my memory," Tommy chuckled. "You certainly have a knack for picking up line easily."

"Well, just most," Kimi responded with a little blush. "If it's something I like, I try to pick up as much as I can."

"And you sing them pretty well," Tommy added, encouraging her to keep blushing and giggling. "Sing the rest you know."

"Well," Kimi said, sheepishly looking away. "Only if you sing one of the other ones."

"Like I said, yours is better than mine," Tommy chuckled. "But I'll give it a shot."

"Alright then," Kimi said. "If you insist. _Recall those days, look back on all those times, think of the things we'll never do. There will never be a day, when I won't think of you._ Any better than before?"

"I don't think it should matter," Tommy said with a smile. "Because you sang them so well. Better than I will, no doubt."

"Oh, come on," Kimi giggled, playfully pushing his side while staying in his arm's embrace. "I know you're pretty good a singing. Now sing the one you can remember the most."

"Well, okay," Tommy responded, trying to make his tone sound as sheepish as he was nervous. He sang in front of her before, but there was definitely something different about this one that made him feel embarrassed. "Here goes nothing. _Slowly, gently, night unfurls its splendor. Grasp it, sense it, tremulous and tender. Turn your face away, from the garish light of day. Turn your thoughts away, from cold, unfeeling light. And listen to the music of the night._ Well, that's as much as I'm gonna remember. Whatcha think?"

He looked at her, watching her smile and her eyes being placed upon him. He was even more nervous by her lack of an immediate response. Did he sing it badly? Did he remember the words correctly? Too many variables that made his heart pound that much faster with each passing second. It was after this moment of uncertainty that she finally gave him a response. A sweet and gentle kiss on his cheek.

"I told you were good," Kimi giggled. "And you're not that bad at remembering lyrics yourself, Mr. Self-Doubter."

"Ah, that's the most you'll get tonight," Tommy chuckled, feeling himself blush. "I'd have to have the lyrics in my hand if I'm gonna be knowing the rest, that's for sure."

"I know, I know," Kimi responded, retaining her gentle smile. "Don't one of our parents have CD or something? Not from the movie, of course, but from one of the stage shows."

"Maybe Uncle Drew and Aunt Charlotte," Tommy replied with a shrug. "I think they saw _Phantom of the Opera_ before. I dunno, I'll have to ask them."

"Either way, I think I'll buy the soundtrack," Kimi said. "I like the music a lot. And oh I'm gonna enjoy getting the DVD when it comes out. That was a very beautiful movie."

"It is pretty good," Tommy said. "Although I kinda think the guy playing The Phantom was too young."

"I agree it wasn't perfect," Kimi giggled. "It's still a good one." She stepped ahead a little so that they could come to a stop and she could look at him. "Thank you for this great night, Tommy."

"The least I could do on a first date, Kimi," Tommy said. "Just to see you as happy as you were when I got you that jacket would've been successful enough for me."

"Well, I think you did more than that," Kimi giggled.

Silence once again came over them as they did nothing more than stare into each other's eyes and smile. It seemed as though every concern or worry they had about things that could've went wrong disappeared in an instant. Soon enough, they slowly inched forward toward one another before they closed their eyes when their lips gently came together.

It definitely was a successful first date.

---

October 14, 2005


	7. Chapter 7

**Certainties**

an _All Grown Up_ fan fiction story

by Lord Akiyama

---

_All Grown Up_ and its characters copyright © Klasky-Csupo, Nickelodeon and Viacom. This story has been produced for sheer fun and enjoyment. Please don't sue.

---

Chapter Seven

---

"Hmmm... I don't think this color would fit you," Kimi thoughtfully muttered aloud, rummaging her hands through the rack of shirts. "No... no... nope... Ah! Let's see if this one looks good for you!" She removed the shirt and stepped over to where he sat there with a sigh and a smile. She threw the shirt over his body and they looked together into the mirror.

"Quite a dark shade of blue you found here," Tommy noted.

"Why not?" Kimi asked with a giggle. "It works. Especially with your purple hair. Just be glad I have the fashion sense to know the baby blue you wore as a baby would look just terrible."

"Hey, even I would know when a color just won't work for me," Tommy chuckled. "I don't wanna be caught dead wearing any shade of pink or yellow. And I had enough of the baby blue for one lifetime, that's for sure."

"Oh my God! I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it myself!" Retaining their smiles, the couple turned to spot the other boys staring in complete and utter disbelief over what they were seeing. "How, T?" the speaker, Dil, asked in horror. "How did she brainwash you into this monstrosity?"

"She didn't brainwash me to do anything, guys," Tommy chuckled, amused with how they looked with their jaws on the ground. "I'm just returning the favor I owed."

"Favor?" Chuckie asked.

"I had to put up with him teaching me how to play skee ball," Kimi said with a smile. "Back when he got his license, remember? I figured his wardrobe needed some fixing if he wants to be as handsome as can be."

"Dude, I dunno if this is something I wanna stick around and watch," Phil said, slowly beginning to back away. "In fact, I'm almost afraid that if I stick around too long she'll start picking out our wardrobes."

"Now that is just way too scary for me," Dil swallowed. "Sorry, bro, but we're gonna have to bail on saving you from this. You're on your own with this one."

The elder Pickle began to laugh. "That's okay, Dil," Tommy said. "You guys go ahead and make your grand escape before the other girls corner you and decide to pick up on what Kimi is doing."

The guys almost forgot that today was Sunday Shopping Spree. Like scared creatures, they darted their eyes around to make sure the other girls weren't about before making a run out of the store. The couple began to laugh hysterically, her placing her weight upon his back while he leaned forward.

"That's actually not a bad idea, Tommy Pickles," Kimi said through her continued laughter and giggles. "Maybe I could convince the girls to trick the guys someday and lure them into the trap."

"While you and I will be elsewhere," Tommy added through his laughter and chuckles. "Being boyfriend and girlfriend, doing what couples should do. You wasting all my free money on whatever you want."

"And don't you ever forget it, Mister," Kimi giggled, placing a quick and gentle kiss on his cheek. They soon were able to relax and put an end to their laughter, returning to getting him some clothes. "So, I think we can add this to the pile of shirts to buy. You agree?"

"Yeah, it definitely would work," Tommy nodded, watching her with fluidity place the shirt among the other clothes sitting next to him. "So when exactly am I supposed to try these on, if you don't want me going through the dressing room."

"After we buy the clothes, we're going straight to your bedroom to see how they fit," Kimi giggled, already beginning to rummage through another rack of clothing. "Don't worry, I promise not to steal any peeks when you're changing."

"You sure you're certain with yourself about that?" Tommy asked with a grin, turning to look at her. "Sounds like your dying with anticipation to see me shirtless."

"Oh, you are such a pervert!" Kimi laughed, quickly turning to through the first thing in her hand at him. It was a black shirt. "Typical thought process for you men. Always thinking about jumping into us ladies' pants. You know as well as I do that it ain't gonna happen yet, so start moaning with disappointment."

"Oh Kimi, you're breaking my heart," Tommy chuckled as he sarcastically moaned. He immediately began to look at the shirt for a moment before turning to the mirror and seeing how it looked over his chest. "You know, this shirt looks pretty shabby to me. I could see myself wearing this for a long while."

She turned and walked over to stand behind him. She looked in the mirror and widened her smile. "You're right," Kimi said. "It does look good on you. Maybe that perverted mind of yours ain't so bad after all." He began to chuckle as he tossed the shirt over her head to cover her giggling face.

---

"Now these, we're gonna save for only the most special of special occasions," Kimi said, holding up the shirt and pants combination before hanging them into the closet. "Because when you wear them, you're gonna be one handsome, sexy beast. I'll be fighting girls just so they get the picture that you're with me."

"Your right about saving them for only the most special of special occasions," Tommy chuckled as they sat down on his bed together, listening to her sigh. "My clothes and your fighting off girls would create such a scene that it would result in us getting thrown into the back of a police car."

"That just shows how dedicated I am to be a faithful girlfriend," Kimi giggled, resting the back of her head just below his shoulder so she could look up into his eyes. "And to make sure you remain a faithful boyfriend."

"Of course I will be," Tommy said, starting to form a grin on his face. "Because if I wasn't a faithful boyfriend, I wouldn't be able to get away with this."

It was their favorite thing to do. Tickling.

She combined her shrieks and laughter together as he pulled her down and they began to roll about on the bed. "Stop it stop it stop it!" Kimi giggled in rapid-fire speed and succession. He had her in such that her back was to him, making it harder for her to counter attack his tickling with hers. They laughed and laughed as she struggled to release herself. This went on for moments on end until she conceded. He rested his back against the wall, holding her such in that her forehead touched the side of his. He legs lay across his lap and they slowed their laughing, their eyes closed. He placed a sweet and gentle kiss upon her cheek before they lost themselves in their gentle embrace and sighed.

"How long has it been again?" Kimi asked quietly. "Since we first started dating?"

"Six months," Tommy replied in a gentle whisper.

"We've been a couple for six months," Kimi said. "And we're about to finish our junior year in high school."

"After summer, we spend one more year before we figure out what to do with the rest of our lives," Tommy said.

"The rest of our lives," Kimi repeated with a soft sigh. "Six months. We've been together for six months. Another twelve months before we, as you say, 'figure out what to do with the rest of our lives.' And yet, all I can ever think about is what the future holds for our lives together."

"You're worried something might happen to our relationship in twelve months?" Tommy asked, placing a gentle kiss on her cheek in the hopes of giving reassurance of his faithfulness to her.

"A little," Kimi replied. "Things can happen in twelve months. And I'm kinda scared our relationship might not be strong enough to withstand another twelve months after spending six establishing that these feelings of ours is true."

"But...?" Tommy whispered.

"But at the same time, I am so happy with how strong our relationship has become," Kimi replied gently. "In the six months we've been together, we've built a relationship that has survived so much doubt and concerns that I can barely think of any other that could cause things go sour."

"So what you're saying is that if our relationship survives the next twelve months, we'll be more than fine," Tommy softly said with a chuckle. "You're saying that if it holds true, then we're ready for that one really big step."

She giggled gently. "I love it when you read my mind, Tommy Pickles," Kimi whispered. "It makes you that much more handsome. And it makes our relationship that much more stronger, being able to know what the other is thinking."

"Like how we're gonna make out this very second?" Tommy added with a grin.

"Show off," Kimi giggled.

Not wasting another second, their lips gently touched together. They shared a tender, yet passionate kiss to further proclaim the strength of their relationship. When they released, they smiled. She gave off a soft giggle, he gave off a soft chuckle. As if waiting impatiently, their lips gently met again.

"Hey T, I was wondering if I could..."

They couldn't help but quietly laugh as they turned their attention to the quite shocked younger Pickle standing in the doorway. Nor did they bother to move from their positions, smiling as they got a good look at Dil turning bright red at the sight of his older brother with a girl somewhat sitting on his lap.

"Oh come on, Dil," Tommy chuckled. "You've seen me kiss her many times by now."

"Wha...?" Dil managed to mutter. "Oh, I know, I know. It's just... well... you guys look like you were getting... well... very... um... I dunno... um..."

"Intimate?" Kimi giggled. They watched him swallow and then nod his head. "Aww, we're sorry, Dil. We didn't mean to plant such a picture in your fragile little mind." She then gave the elder Pickle a kiss on the cheek before gently scooting herself off his bed. "I think I should go any way. I have a feeling Chuckie beyond the point of worrying about me."

"Thanks again for buying me the clothes," Tommy said with a smile. "See you tomorrow?"

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Kimi said with a smile in return. She grabbed whatever stuff was hers and made her way out of the room, past the younger Pickle. "Later, Dil." Moments later, she was out of visual range.

"I dunno why, bro," Dil sighed, walking over to his brother's chair and sitting in it. "I dunno why, but I get really embarrassed seeing you two like that. I kinda feel like I'm breaking into your personal space and stuff."

"Ah, it's not all bad," Tommy said. "It's when we're on a date that I get uptight about whether or not you're around."

"But even still, I shouldn't be blushing like this every time I see you guys kiss and stuff," Dil said. "I dunno why, but it's just some feeling I have. Maybe I picked up something from Chuckie, who practically falls apart each time you and she even hold hands." They have a light chuckle at the memory.

"Well, maybe it's a different kind of embarrassment," Tommy suggested.

"What do you mean, T?" Dil asked.

"Suppose you're blushing not because you're seeing your older brother kiss a girl," Tommy explained. "And suppose it's not because I'm kissing a girl who just so happens to be a friend of ours since we were babies. Maybe you're blushing because you picture yourself kissing a girl."

Bingo.

The younger Pickle blushed really hard and tried to sheepishly turn his eyesight away from facing his brother. But then he understood what the older Pickle was saying and nodded. "I guess I'm really nervous about the idea of me dating soon," Dil said. "I admit, I am a strangle pickle. No pun intended. What if I meet someone I really like, but she doesn't like me for who I am? I mean, I really dunno if I can change who I am and stuff."

"Well, then don't think of your being with a girl too much as a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship," Tommy said with a shrug. "I think a good way to start a relationship is to have been friends with someone for a while and then see if you two are willing to take the next step."

"But wouldn't that take fifteen years like it did for you and Kimi?" Dil asked.

The older Pickle couldn't help but roll about in his bed laughing.

---

"Hope you didn't embarrass him too much with all the clothes you bought him," Chuckie said, nervously scratching his head while watching his sister grab a soda from the fridge. "How long did you spend looking for clothes any way?"

"Two hours," Kimi said in a casual tone before sitting down in her chair, sitting across from her brother in the kitchen table. "If I had been with the other girls, it would've been five."

"What is it about clothes that makes it forever for girls to buy?" Chuckie asked curiously, unintentionally causing her sister to laugh. He just sighed and slumped in his chair until she went silent and began drinking her soda. After being content with a moment's silence, he changed the subject. "You seem really happy with him."

She smiled. "Of course I am, Chuckie," Kimi said. "You've known that for a while now."

"Yeah, I know," Chuckie said. "But... it's like you're even more happy than you were before. Like you can't stop thinking about him everyday and stuff."

She raised a brow. "Where are you going with this, older brother?" Kimi asked. "Are you jealous I spend more time with your best friend than with you?"

"No, no, of course not," Chuckie cried, nearly blushing at her comment. "It's just... um... well..."

It didn't take long for her to figure out where he was going. "You're concerned with just how far my relationship with Tommy has progressed over the six months we've been together," Kimi said. She watched as he slowly nodded his head sheepishly. She sighed and gave him a reassuring smile. "Tommy and I think about it a lot, you know. We've done so much both in our friendship and in our relationship that there's barely anything left to do before taking the next step. And that's why we've been taking our time, Chuckie. To Tommy and I, there's no need to rush through the relationship and get things over with. We only advance when we're ready."

"Are you sure?" Chuckie nervously asked. "I mean, have you guys been careful about what you do?"

She sighed and shook her head, still retaining the smile though. "Lemme let you in on a little secret, Chuckie," Kimi said with a whisper. "I could not have dated any one else who is more of a gentleman as Tommy is. He does things one at a time, while remaining true to himself and to our relationship. And yes, he's taking very good care of me."

With a bit of shyness, he looked up and stared into her eyes to see that she was telling the truth. He formed a sheepish smile and sighed. "I'm glad you are, sis," Chuckie said. "Guess I'm being the overprotective older brother again."

"Oh, Chuckie," Kimi giggled. "You're always gonna be my brother and I'll love you the same. But you don't have to always be there for me. Just remember that I am capable of taking care of myself, okay?" She watched him nod. "Thanks for understanding and for the support."

"No problem," Chuckie said, taking a deep breath. "So... whatcha guys do after you bought the clothes?"

"Take a wild guess," Kimi said with a grin.

She nearly dropped to the floor laughing as her brother's face went completely crimson.

---

October 16, 2005


	8. Chapter 8

**Certainties**

an _All Grown Up_ fan fiction story

by Lord Akiyama

---

_All Grown Up_ and its characters copyright © Klasky-Csupo, Nickelodeon and Viacom. This story has been produced for sheer fun and enjoyment. Please don't sue.

---

Chapter Eight

---

"This is beyond strange," Kimi sighed. Her eyes stared down at the untouched lunch in front of her for a moment before bringing them back up to him. "I mean, what are the chances we had these dreams on the same night."

"Similar kind of dreams, no less," Tommy sighed. He slumped in his chair, unsure what to really make of their predicament. "So... any idea of what to do about this? I'm kinda lost."

"I was kinda hoping you would have one," Kimi replied.

For several moments their table was the only one quiet amongst the many within the mall food court. Everything seemed to be going fine in their relationship since it began seven months before. Although they're still wondering how they ended up with these dreams they had. It seemed to have come out of left field. And they always hated left field.

"Think we should wait another night and see what happens?" Tommy finally suggested.

She gave a sigh once she was in deep thought. "Maybe," Kimi replied. "Although I don't think discarding them is gonna be any easy. I swear, Tommy, it felt too real for me. I'm scared to go some place without you now."

"Same feeling here," Tommy said, taking a deep breath. "Though I doubt both our parents would be open to the idea of us sleeping in the same room unless its some big sleepover with some of the others."

"I can probably talk Chuckie into tagging along tonight," Kimi slightly giggled at the thought. The attempt at cheering up didn't last. And she didn't like returning to this previous feeling one bit. "We really do need to think of something. I dunno why, but I really wanna get through this thing as fast as possible."

"I think you're right," Tommy sighed with a nod. "If we don't address this, our emotions are gonna get extremely wired."

"As if they haven't already," Kimi added. "Still lost on any ideas?"

"At the moment," Tommy replied. "Sorry if you were hoping for one soon."

"That's okay," Kimi said. "I actually think I might have something in mind."

"You do?" Tommy asked.

"Maybe," Kimi replied. "But I wanna hear your input. I think we should first try sleeping it off tonight. If neither of us have these dreams again, we keep it going for another week and then we'll know that it was just a dumb dream. But if it does return, we should talk to the twins immediately after."

"Both of them?" Tommy asked curiously.

"At the same time and in the same place," Kimi said with a nod and then a sigh. "Probably at The Java Lava."

He studied her for a moment and noticed something. "You dunno if you wanna tell the others just yet," Tommy said.

She took a deep breath and nodded. "We shouldn't keep secrets, no matter how small, from them," Kimi responded. "But then I don't wanna think about how Chuckie might react."

"You think he'll ever stop worrying about you?" Tommy asked.

"I think pigs will be able to fly in flocks if he does," Kimi replied with a light giggle. It only lightened the mood for just that moment and no longer. Silence overcame them and it was a long while before they actually started to eat their lunch.

---

"You guys alright?" Lil asked curiously. She raised a brow as she watched the couple each gulp down glasses of water in one sitting. "Seemed really nervous talking to us on the phone."

"Something going on, dude?" Phil asked Tommy directly. "You look as though a waterfall is gonna come outta you."

In unison, the couple sighed and looked up at the twins. "We kinda wanted to talk to the both of you about something," Kimi was the first to say. "And, um... we honestly dunno how to go about it."

The twins gave each other confused glances before turning back to the couple. "Can you be a little more specific?" Lil asked curiously. "I mean, we're still pretty dark on why you wanna talk to us."

"You guys... aren't breaking up, right?" Phil asked almost reluctantly.

"Philip!" Lil hissed, slapping his arm pretty hard. "They wouldn't be talking to us like this if they were breaking up. Besides, they'd tell everyone at the same time as opposed to individually. Do you see Chuckie around? No. Do you see Dil around? No. Angelica? No. Susie? No. So they obviously have something else in mind."

"Alright, alright," Phil said. "Geez, you're pretty uptight about their relationship all of a sudden." The twins didn't pay attention to the couple's increase in nervousness. "So they're not breaking up. Okay. Sorry if I'm a little impatient about wanting to know what they wanna talk to us for." When the twins turned their attention back to the couple, they noticed their glasses of water were empty too. "Dude... you drink my water?"

"Um... yeah..." Tommy replied with a nervous chuckle. "I kinda did..."

The male twin raised a curious and dumbfounded brow. "Okay..." Phil said. "Whatcha do that for?"

"Okay, this is gonna sound really weird, but hear us out, okay," Kimi quickly said. "For the past couple nights, Tommy and I haven't really been sleeping well. We've been having dreams that have been freaking us out to the point of waking up all sweaty and stuff. And we're worried they're gonna start affecting us emotionally, if they haven't already."

It took the twins a while to decipher everything she had just told them after overcoming the initial shock of hearing her speak at a pretty rapid-fire speed. At one point, the male twin got up to get another glass of water. "So, um..." Lil began to say. "What does this have to do with us?"

"Well, um..." Tommy began to say, nervously watching the male twin begin to drink his water. "These dreams... it's about us sleeping with you guys."

Cue spit take.

"You guys dreamt about what?" Lil nearly cried.

"Yeah, it's not a pleasant thought," Kimi replied nervously. "It's like this. I had these dreams of having slept with Phil and Tommy and I get into a fight. Tommy had these dreams of having slept with you and have the same fight. And it's scary because they were so real."

"God, dude," Phil said, once he recovered from spilling everything in his mouth onto the floor. "I almost thought you were talking about like this big four-way and we're all kissing each other." He was on the receiving end of some hard glares. "I said 'almost', didn't I? I'm not that perverted."

"Learn when to keep your mouth shut and other people won't have to think so," Lil groaned, rolling her eyes and shaking her head. She took a deep breath and turned back to the couple. "Okay, so you guys thought about sleeping with us. Kimi with Phil, Tommy with me. And it always ended with you guys getting into a fight."

"The strange part is that we didn't dream them separately," Tommy noted. "We dreamt them on the same nights."

"Now that is creepy," Lil said. "So, worried that if you didn't do something about it and end up becoming a pair of emotional wrecks, you told us. Well, one thing's for sure is I'm probably not gonna sleep well tonight either."

"What, you're gonna end up having a dream where you sleep with Tommy and suddenly Kimi's beating the snot outta you?" Phil asked curiously. The hard glares returned. "What?"

"I dunno why I dreamt about sleeping with you," Kimi groaned. Her boyfriend rubbed her shoulder in hope of reassurance. This caused the female twin to slap her brother on the arm even harder.

"So... now you know why we wanted to talk to you," Tommy said.

"Yeah, I can see that being a big problem for you guys," Lil said before giving a sigh. "Well, hopefully the fact that Phil and I don't harbor such thoughts will some ease to the both of you. And that you don't take that the wrong way."

"You sound so confident," Kimi noted with a curious brow raised.

"Of course she should be confident," Phil said, almost defensively and with a laugh. "She about to go out with..." This time, it was a punch to the arm. "Ow! You didn't have to hit that hard."

"It was supposed to be like they did, Philip!" Lil hissed. "We were supposed to tell them when we were sure."

"Oh, come on, Lillian," Phil responded in a more relaxed tone. "You guys were pretty much ready to go. All you needed to do was make it official and plan the first date. Besides, I should've told the others about my getting a girlfriend the other day instead of waiting until you two had your say."

"Whoa, wait a minute," Tommy said. "You guys already have dates?"

The female twin glared at her brother for a moment before sighing and facing the couple. "In Philip's case, yes," Lil replied. "In my case, we just need to make it official. Which I hope is either tonight or within the next few days."

"Oh wow," Kimi responded with a bit of excitement. "That's great. So who's the babe, Phil?"

"This girl I've had my eye on since sophomore year," Phil chuckled. "Pretty hot, but very down to Earth. Funny how we came about to be a couple. We ended up in the same CD store and were both gonna make a grab at the new Audio slave CD, but they only had one copy left. I thought about letting her get the CD, but she wanted to play rock paper scissors for it. So I added the stipulation that if I won we'd go out to dinner."

"I take it you won," Tommy commented.

"Actually, I lost," Phil chuckled. "But we went out to dinner any way, over at Carl's Jr. We hooked up, then next thing you know we're making out in front of her house."

"Who would've thought losing a game would be so rewarding," Kimi giggled. "Well, congratulations Phil. You're gonna have to have meet the rest of us soon."

"Of course I will," Phil said proudly. "She's already met Lillian, and is very eager to meet the rest of you guys."

"Way to go, Phil," Tommy said. The two boys gave one another a high five. "Did kinda wonder when you'd finally get yourself a girlfriend. So what's this about doing something similar to what Kimi and I did, Lil?"

"Okay, okay, I guess I could tell," Lil sighed, somewhat reluctant to answer. "We actually didn't wait a week, like you guys. For us, it's a month. But we've been talking about it a lot and we're really sure about making it official soon."

"So who's the stud?" Kimi asked with anticipation.

"It's, um... well..." Lil began sheepishly. She took a deep breath. "Boy, as if he wasn't already nervous enough. Just promise not to mention anything until Chuckie and I tell everyone, okay?"

The couple dropped their jaws with a bit of shock.

"Chuckie?" Kimi managed to say. "My brother, Chuckie?"

"Yeah..." Lil replied with a light giggle. "Your brother, Chuckie."

"Oh my God!" Kimi squealed quietly with excitement. "You got my brother to like you! That is so cool. I figured I'd have to set him up on blind dates in order for him to meet girls. Glad you caught his attention first."

"Thanks," Lil said, relaxing a little more. "It kinda happened when we hung out in here one night and I kinda looked at him in a different light. Guess you can say that I saw the handsome Chuckie and wanted to get to know him better."

"Do I really wanna hear this part?" Phil asked. This resulted in a slap on the arm from his sister and the laughter from the others. "Okay, okay, so you found him to be handsome. I was just kidding."

"What did he think of you?" Kimi asked anxiously, wanting to know more about how her brother and her friend got together. "Did he find you attractive that same day or later on?"

"Yes, he did," Lil replied with a giggle. "In fact, he kissed me on the cheek just before I had to leave."

"He kissed you on the cheek?" Kimi repeated with excitement. "Oh man, I would've loved to have seen that! Just to see how crimson he was from willingly giving you a kiss on any sort."

"He was pink all over his body," Lil giggled in remembrance. "He was extremely shy about the whole thing. Talked about how you having a boyfriend made him think about building the courage to date someone. And that he always came back to me and how he noticed how many photos of him and me he had compared to any other."

"Wow," Kimi sighed in a dream-like tone. "That is so cute. My brother had a crush on you."

"Stop," Lil giggled. "Course, you can see how his being shy is why it's taking us longer to make it official."

"As long as it'll be official, that's what counts," Tommy chuckled. "Can't wait for you guys to make the announcement so I can finally give the guy a heavily deserved pat on the back."

"I'm sure he'll appreciate the support very much," Lil said. She then sighed as she looked at the couple before her. "Well, I think maybe we put some of your fears to rest."

"Oh, I've never been so happy to get those out of the way," Kimi sighed with relief. "But I'm really happy to hear about you about to go out with my brother. That's the best thing I could possibly have heard all week."

"Definitely made out day," Tommy chuckled. "And we're happy for you too, Phil."

"Oh good," Phil chuckled. "I was worried my getting a girlfriend was going to be overshadowed by her dating Chuckie. As if it wasn't the minute I found out about it."

"Stop being jealous, Phil," Lil giggled. "The important thing is that you have something to be happy about."

"I guess you're right," Phil shrugged. "Besides, I'll probably sleep with her long before either you and Chuckie or Tommy and Kimi do." He received the hardest punch to the arm possible.

And it hurt badly.

---

"You been sleeping like the angel you are?" Tommy asked gently, smiling as he held tightly on the couch.

"You're such a romantic, Don Juan," Kimi giggled softly. "I haven't slept so wonderfully in weeks."

"Happy to hear," Tommy chuckled before placing a kiss on the side of her head.

"You guys do this every time yer watching a movie or something?" They couple turned, retaining their smile, as they looked upon the younger Pickle, who was faking the annoyance with half a grin. He sat in a separate chair.

"Just about," Kimi replied, resting her head comfortably against her boyfriend's shoulder. She brought the blanket over her own shoulders and let some drape just underneath his chest. "When two people like each other like we do, they'll do just about anything to show it."

"But then how are you supposed to watch the movie?" Dil asked curiously. The couple laughed gently.

"You know as well as I do that we've watched _The Princess Bride_ over a million times, Dil," Tommy said. "We know the film practically insight and out. It's not like we're missing anything. It's one of our favorites, after all."

"He reminds me of someone in the film," Kimi noted. "Oh, I got it. He's like the Fred Savage character."

"Ha ha, very funny," Dil said, shaking his head. "And I suppose you guys are Westley and Buttercup, right?"

"Maybe," Tommy chuckled lightly. Barely moving his body, he slowly positioned himself and Kimi so that they were looking into each other's eyes. _"Can you move at all?"_

_"Move?"_ Kimi acted with quiet, gentle sweetness. _"You're alive. If you want, I can fly."_ They shared light laughter before bringing their lips together for a kiss.

_"Oh, no. No, please,"_ Dil acted in a fake moan, playing along with them. _"They're kissing again. Do we have to hear the kissing part?"_ Though his attention was back to the movie, he added his own chuckle to their quiet laughter.

_"Someday you may not mind so much,"_ Tommy acted, though it sounded rather quiet like a whisper. Yet, his brother's attention was still retained to the television set.

For a while, the only sound being made was coming from the television. The younger Pickle watched with a knowing smile as he watched Inigo and Fezzik take Westley to Miracle Max. That scene was always his favorite.

"Dude, this is such the funniest scene," Dil laughed. "I remember not believing you when you said that that was Billy Crystal in make up when I first saw this. Remember?" He turned to find the couple fast asleep. He thought about waking them up, especially since she wasn't expecting to sleep over. But he just smiled and turned back to the movie.

Besides... they looked really cute sleeping together like that.

As if it was meant to be.

---

October 17, 2005


End file.
